Philippine tennis elections set after long conflict

MANILA, Philippines–Soon the piercing leadership conflict hounding Philippine tennis will be over.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol’’ Tolentino has guaranteed that the long-running feud among warring parties in the sport will come to a close with the mandatory election of officers for the Philippine Tennis Association top brass on December 11.

“We have to put an end to the leadership problem in tennis and there’s no better way to resolve the dispute than to hold an election among the legitimate stakeholders as instructed by their IF (international federation),’’ said Tolentino.

Since late 2020, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) put Philta under indefinite suspension from the world body due to irreconcilable differences among its leaders.

The nation’s tennis officials have been required to amend the Philta constitution and bylaws and hold an election that would include the clashing major stakeholders in the sport.

Without any compromise among tennis leaders, the POC was forced to take care of the athletes and drop Philta from its rolls due to noncompliance with the directive of the ITF.

Despite the internal strife bothering Philta, Filipino netters continue to deliver in international competitions with 18-year-old Alex Eala their biggest star.

In the midst of the ITF ban, Eala pulled off a historic feat for the Philippines by winning the junior girls singles title of the US Open (2022) after a pair of grand slam victories in junior doubles at the Australian Open (2020) and French Open (2021).

Men’s doubles partners Treat Huey and Ruben Gonzales ruled the 2021 Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam by beating Jeson Patrombon and Francis Alcantara in the final. Gonzales defended the men’s doubles diadem early this year in the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games with Alcantara.

“We have to protect the athletes from these conflicts and the POC did a great job of taking care of them,’’ said Tolentino, who now sits as mayor of Tagaytay City.

Eala, who already won four ITF career titles, brought her act to the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China two months ago and delivered two bronze medals, one in women’s singles and the other in mixed doubles with Alcantara.

According to Tolentino, over a hundred tennis clubs across the country have signified their intention to register prior to the deadline on Nov. 29 before proceeding to the election of officers on Dec. 11.

“It’s basically a toss-up between the two big groups in tennis unless they come up with a compromise,’’ said Tolentino, referring to the camps of Paranaque 1st District representative Edwin Olivares and businessman-sportsman Jean Henri Lhuillier.

“This problem has been going on for years and we need to settle this, so I would like to remind all the clubs which haven’t registered yet,’’ added Tolentino.