ITF finds PH tennis at fault

Francis Casey Alcantara is appealing to the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) to get its act together for the sake of the players in particular and the sport in the country in general.

“What will happen to us now?” Alcantara asked after the Philta was slapped a two-year suspension by the world governing International Tennis Federation (ITF), basically for failing to run its agency the proper way. “I hope we can still play Davis Cup, SEA (Southeast Asian) Games.”

In a letter sent by ITF president David Haggerty to Philta, the international body demanded Philta to implement constitutional reforms to ensure all stakeholders and regional clubs are represented.

Philta has continued to ignore ITF deadlines in submitting amendments to its constitution that would increase its membership base.

Alcantara, the 2019 SEA Games champ in doubles along with Jeson Patrombon, said the ITF decision is another blow to Filipino players who have been out of action for close to a year now because of the coronavirus pandemic, and that he hopes that local tennis officials do something to reverse the ruling.

That would mean following the ITF directive to resolve issues of “membership and representations.”

“I also hope that there’s going to be utmost transparency in the upcoming election,” Alcantara told the Inquirer. But having elections would mean that the Philta would adhere to the ITF sanctions, something which its leadership doesn’t seem keen in doing.

Philta president Antonio Cablitas had earlier brushed off the ITF ban and said he hopes the ITF gets “enlightened as to the Philta’s initiatives and successes.”

Cablitas maintained that the recommendations by the tribunal are “erroneous” and have no basis.

Philta was allowed to vote in the recent Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) through vice president Michael Misa.

But its current standing in the POC is expected to be taken up by the body in the coming meetings. INQ