Dragon boat issue hounds PSC

LMANILA—The Philippine Sports Commission has again found itself in a “lose-lose” situation involving another dragon boat team.

Chair Richie Garcia yesterday revealed that the PSC recently received a request for assistance from the Philippine National Police dragon boat team vying in the 2011 World Police and Fire Games in New York.

Garcia didn’t say if the agency extended assistance but said “we are once again in a lose-lose situation.”

He was referring to the agency’s failure to support the Cobra Philippine Dragon Boat Federation which sent a team that won five gold and two silver medals in the World Championships in Tampa Bay, Florida.

“If we give them financial support, we might get criticized because we didn’t give money to the PDBF,” said Garcia. “But if we didn’t and they [PNP paddlers] win, we might also get flak for it.”

He also didn’t say how much, or in what form, was the assistance requested by the PNP paddlers.