Close win for Bambol

Just a few hours before his election as president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino went to Mass and brought his family to the venue of the polls at Century Park Hotel in Manila.

“I told them that this is my second family, the sports community,” said Tolentino after claiming the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) presidency on Sunday which ended the leadership conflict in the local Olympic body.

For the next 15 months, Tolentino will be the Father of the POC, and he has, as one of his immediate goals, is the smooth and successful hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) later this year.

“Now that this squabble is over, let’s set aside our differences and move forward. Let’s all be united and focus on the SEA Games, next year’s Para Games hosting and our participation in the [2020] Olympics,” said Tolentino.

The first order of the day for the concurrent president of PhilCycling, the country’s governing body in the sport, is to reaffirm the appointment of boxing’s Patrick Gregorio as secretary general.

Tolentino, who also sits as Cavite Representative, has offered Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez of fencing to become his deputy secretary general and named retired Gen. Lucas Managuelod of muay thai as membership committee chair.

“I’m here to serve and not to be served. I’ll be serving the sports community,” said Tolentino, who will serve the remaining months of former POC president Ricky Vargas’ abbreviated term until November 2020 when the next elections are scheduled.

Steve Hontiveros of handball was elected the new chair after prevailing over Robert Aventajado of taekwondo, 26-18, during the polls conducted smoothly by the three-man election committee composed of lawyer Teodoro Kalaw IV,
Fr. Vic Calvo OP of Letran and Rep. Conrado Estrella III.

Joining Tolentino and Hontiveros in the POC executive board are Clint Aranas of archery (24 votes) and Cynthia Carrion of gymnastics (23 votes). Rugby and shooting did not send representatives who are qualified to cast their votes.

Tolentino got 24 of the 44 possible votes made up of 41 national sports associations, two Olympians from the athletes commission—lifter Hidilyn Diaz and long jumper Henry Dagmil—and International Olympic Committee (IOC) representative Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski.

Losing POC presidential candidate Philip Ella Juico of track and field garnered 20 votes while board member aspirants Monico Puentevella of weightlifting (21 votes) and Lani Velasco of swimming (19 votes) also didn’t make it.

“If we can be of help, we’re just a text or call away,” said Juico, president of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association and former Philippine Sports Commission chair.

“Now, I can go back and focus on track and field and become a major contributor to our gold medal output. That is the more important goal in the sense that we, as a country, have to perform well,” added Juico.

Vargas stepped down early last month followed by Tolentino as chair as well as board members Aranas and Carrion.