Why care about the POC elections?

THE RACE for a presidential seat always grabs attention. Whether it be for the Philippine or American presidency, a class or an organization, the election for the top leadership position stirs the interest of those voting, and even those who won’t.

If you are a stakeholder in an organization, there is understandable interest because the person to be elected could affect your outlook, performance, income (in case of a corporation) and life in general over the next couple of years.

A president does not file laws per se but can provide the leadership necessary for important pieces of legislation to be undertaken by a congress or parliament.

A president is also a symbolic leader, the person you turn to for direction in a group or country. His or her speeches and announcements in media define how an administration will enact policies or solve problems. The president also represents the organization in front of foreign leaders and captains of industry.

Thus, there are good reasons to care about the upcoming Philippine Olympic Committee elections this Nov. 30.

The leaders to be elected are going to chart the course of Philippine sports over the next four years. No matter how daunting or hopeless the task may seem, we will still need leaders who will take us through the unforgiving waters of sports financing, coaching and infrastructure building.

If you are an ardent sports follower disappointed with how the Philippines has fared in international competitions in recent years, you could be jaded enough to ignore the elections. Or if you are an athlete who has been hurt by bickering and inside positioning by the powers-that-be, then you could not be blamed for dismissing this election as an exercise in futility.

But for those who still believe that with an ounce of change the true potential of our athletes can be unearthed, there is a genuine interest and concern for the POC elections.

It is really not about the personalities anymore but the issues that confront sports.

We need a POC president and leaders who will grab the bull by its horns and face the difficult tasks ahead. We need success in sports outside of the triumphs of our boxers and billiards aces to inspire us.

During the long weekend, I wondered if we should vote for the POC president and leaders in a general national elections instead of the process in place which calls for the national sports associations to vote for the next leaders.

I imagined how all of us would vote for a POC leadership and if the assembling of tickets and the aligning of loyalties would be as confusing as it is right now. Doing so will probably just add to the headaches of the Comelec.

Many of us care about the fate of Philippine sports but can’t vote in the coming elections. Let’s hope that those who can will elect leaders who will indeed infuse sports with a new direction.