Timing spells the difference

I am now at that stage in life wherein I can look back on and review numerous situations and experiences.  I am fortunate that I have the time to evaluate what I saw and went through from different perspectives.

Please allow me to comment on the hottest topic that has been gripping the sports headlines these past few days.

The controversy of the upcoming Philippine Olympic Committee elections has kept many people, especially those of us who have had a direct experience with this body, at the edge of our seats.

Having served as president of an NSA (National Sports Association) for two years has given me the privilege of seeing and then later understanding how things work in our  world.

The POC that former congressman Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. currently heads is a sports body whose leadership is determined by all NSA heads.

When he started out many years ago, aside from cleaning up some NSAs, his intention to help Philippine sports was clear.  He was able to accomplish this as seen in the results of the country’s showing in the 2005 Manila Southeast Games which we rule, eight gold medals better than runner-up Thailand.

This restored a sense of pride in the hearts of many Filipinos as his leadership was new and many were eager to be part of this change.

We don’t know how long it will take for the country to repeat such a feat.

However, as the years wore on, under his watch, some of the NSAs were not able to put to its full or maximum use the funding given to them.

Now we are looking at a new candidate, Ricky Vargas, who comes from the corporate world and who has a family background in sports.

The involvement of Vargas through the MVP Sports Foundation seeks to infuse new blood and ideas on how to improve the present plight of our athletes and reverse our dismal finishes in international events.

That the involvement of the MVP Foundation in numerous sports in the country is beneficial is beyond question.  Sometimes, though, due to lack of supervision, the money given is not maximized and benefits the officials, not the athletes.

Vargas is determined to go all the way in order to make a success of this endeavor and make the necessary changes if he wins.  He has expressed his willingness to resign from all his corporate positions to focus on the enormous task.

Years of living and a clear understanding of the facts of every situation give one the wisdom of knowing how to fulfill roles and more importantly, to know when it is time to come in and make changes and when it is time to step back and leave.

Has the time for change now come?

In the execution of the golf swing, as in life, it is in the timing of things that oftentimes spells the difference.