There’s a bitter fight raging, not exactly behind the scene, on the national swimming front.
In fact, the accusations against Philippine Amateur Swimming Association president Mark Joseph were so serious, we had openly suggested for the case to be brought before the Senate Committee on Sports.
The charges by the aggrieved side were printed in the previous column.
It was also suggested that former Sen. Nikki Coseteng, head of the swimming group whose youthful members were allegedly traumatized after being refused participation in the Arafura Games in Australia, try and get in touch with Sen. Gringo Honasan, vital cog in the Senate Committee on Sports.
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However, while waiting for developments yesterday, we received a text message, denying all the charges printed in the last column.
It came from the national swimming association head.
The statement was clear and strong.
“Hi, this is Mark Joseph. I would just like to clear one point regarding the Arafura Games. It was the Australian organizers that did not allow the five non-Pasa swimmers to join. Not me. It was just like what happened in cycling during the 2009 Southeast Asian Games in Laos under the International Cycling Union. The rules, invitation and entry form of Arafura are in very clear English, requiring that each swimmer should be affiliated to Fina, the international swimming federation—through their respective member national federations (Pasa for the Philippines)—and receive our permission to participate. Pasa opened its doors to these non-members to register all the way to the last minute but they (or their parents and coaches) refused. So, Arafura only allowed them “to swim for exhibition.”
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I wasted no time and passed Joseph’s message to columnist Beth Celis, who had earlier brought to my attention the rift between Ms Coseteng and Mark Joseph.
In no time, I got a text message from an expected source claiming that what Joseph had stated was “another big fat lie.”
“He’s just using sports to fan his ego and give kids traumatic experiences,” it was added.
Meanwhile, former national swimmer Susan Papa next called me wondering if I could entertain further charges “to set the record straight.”
It was Papa, medalist in the 1970 Bangkok Asian Games, who coached the Quezon City swimming group that was headed by Coseteng in the Arafura Games.
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Sorry, I told Susan, an idol and friend from the old days.
For the record, the main thrust of this column is to win the race for truth, without unnecessarily being turned into a cheap battleground or a stage for shallow, comic dramatization of sporting mishaps.
Of course, there’s now a chance for the swim mess to be resolved.
Ms. Celis said she would expedite invitations to proper parties, including Sen. Honasan, to attend a special forum by a group of select sports columnists that she heads on Monday.
As we went to press, Mark Joseph called our attention to an apparent oversight:
“Partner, you forgot to mention naman that our real Philippine swimmers won 19 golds, 22 silvers and 9 bronzes. Thank you and God bless.”