MVP fails our sports ‘revolucionarios’

It may not be right to call it a revolt.

But on Monday, a good number of national sports association (NSA) heads attended a dinner and formalized their intention to join a movement that would hopefully succeed in working for sound reforms in the Philippine Olympic Committee.

One highly placed source said a good number of NSAs and athletes representatives, “enough to win the POC presidency” came to the dinner.

These sports figures showed up to sway business tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan into formally announcing his bid for the POC presidency.

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Pangilinan, popularly known as MVP, readily drew praise and sent hopes soaring in the drab national sports landscape when it was reported he was “mulling to run for the POC presidency.”

MVP next admitted his intention (to go for the top POC post), but at the same time demanded that enough NSA heads must first validate their intention to vote for him.

Explained national amateur boxing association head Ricky Vargas, a top MVP deputy: “I know MVP, he would surely help. But it’s up to the national sports associations to show their readiness to seek change.”

Vargas asked these NSA heads to come out in the open and pledge their support for MVP “otherwise, the status quo will remain.”

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There were great expectations as the hours drew close to Monday’s MVP dinner.

Then, yesterday morning concerned sportsmen were beside themselves in glee after it was reported here in the Inquirer that MVP has drawn enough revolucionarios to his side.

Manny Lopez, POC first vice president, said 25 national sports associations “enough to dislodge Peping Cojuangco as POC head by simple majority” attended the Pangilinan meeting.

Lopez, who was PH delegation chef de mission in London, reportedly has had a falling out with Cojuangco.

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Anyway, athletics association president Go Teng Kok, who has spearheaded the revolt against what he called the dreaded and scandalous Cojuangco regime, met with an MVP sports aide in Quezon City on Tuesday. GTK was in the process of formally adding at least four more NSA heads to the group that showed up in Monday’s MVP dinner.

GTK was halfway through his lunch when he received a call from Joey Romasanta, trusted top aide of the POC president.

“He was asking me if I would like to talk to Peping,” Go bared. “He said Peping loves me very much.”

It’s no secret it was GTK who delivered the swing votes that led to Cojuangco edging out Art Macapagal, 21-19, in the last POC polls; although a subsequent rift led to Go being declared persona non grata in the national Olympic movement.

“That only meant Peping is in extreme panic,” Go surmised.

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Go had a restful sleep Tuesday.

He was in the process of listing names for recommendation in the MVP ticket when he got a call from columnist Beth Celis shortly before lunch yesterday.

“Beth told me MVP is not running,” Go told your reporter here.

He sounded both crestfallen and lost.

“Beth told me MVP said it was not the right time, so when will be the right time?”

GTK disgusted, requested to send this message to MVP through the Inquirer:

“Mr. Pangilinan, when you invited NSA heads, they responded regardless of any consequence they might face from the vindictive POC leader. They knew the waiting was over on Monday night with that show of force against tyranny in PH sports. But for God’s sake, I can’t believe that, after that blissful evening, you would turn your back to a noble role of rescuing national sports from a culture of deceit, mediocrity and corruption.  We are all disappointed, myself in particular who moved heaven and earth for you. Brave men don’t turn their backs in the midst of battle.”

Meanwhile, we next called up fencing president Celso Dayrit, a former POC president, to ask if the situation could still be saved.

His advice: “MVP should openly endorse someone in order to benefit from the same group support.”

GTK said that someone should be Dayrit himself.