Support for Manny V. Pangilinan as POC head snowballs

MANILA, Philippines—A minority block in the Philippine Olympic Committee, apart from the Olympic body’s present leadership, is pushing for the takeover of the Most Valuable Patron of Philippine sports.

A key representative of the group said 10 heads of national sports associations have sat down twice and mapped out a strategy to encourage tycoon and sports patron Manny V. Pangilinan to throw his hat into the POC elections on Nov. 30.

This NSA cluster is also moving to lure athletics chief Go Teng Kok into the fold along with the associations that enjoy the support of the MVP group.

Go, who helped POC president Jose Cojuangco Jr. win a second term in 2008, still commands influence over several NSAs.

Pangilinan is president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and chair of both the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines and Philippine Badminton Association.

He is also a big supporter of taekwondo, cycling, tennis, running and football through his MVP Sports Foundation.

Cojuangco has reached out to Pangilinan and offered the latter either the chairmanship or presidency of the Olympic body. No one has stepped forward yet to challenge Cojuangco, who is running for a third straight term as POC chief.

“MVP is qualified to run as POC president,” said the source who refused to reveal the 10 NSAs which are seeking to field a challenger to Cojuangco. “Whoever runs against him will have a tough time.”