Francis Casey Alcantara celebrates after striking gold in the men’s doubles competition in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ
Members of the Philippine tennis team have expressed disappointment over missing the Davis Cup competitions for the first time in recent memory as the suspension on the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) continues.
The players’ problems may prove to be much bigger than that.
Lawyer Antonio Cablitas, the Philta president, and Unified Tennis of the Philippines head Jean Henri Lhuillier continue to be at odds which even presidential top adviser Sen. Bong Go’s intervention couldn’t resolve.
The two leaders met via Zoom two months ago. And like a number of reconciliatory meetings between Cablitas and Lhuillier, the former Philta chair, that didn’t pan out.
In the meantime, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) directive issued last year to suspend the Philippines from joining and organizing tournaments continues to take effect, with players representing the country affected most by it.
Southeast Asian Games champs Treat Huey, Francis Casey Alcantara and Ruben Gonzales lamented the country’s exclusion in the Davis Cup.
“It is embarrassing that the Federation has been suspended and we are not able to play Davis Cup this week,” said Huey.
The country, which lost, 4-1, to Greece last year, was set back to Group 3 competitions under a revised Davis Cup format.
Alcantara said: “A few friends of mine … have messaged me asking why we are not playing and I just told them what happened and how we got banned by the ITF.”