SETTLING disputes among several national sports associations which have leadership issues is among the first things that is on the agenda for newly elected Philippine Olympic Committee president Ricky Vargas.
Squabbles in swimming, shooting, lawn tennis are among the priorities that need to be settled, and this will be in the agenda when the executive committee of the POC meets for the first time on Monday with Vargas at the helm.
“Ang gusto kong mangyari, maayos lahat ng NSA disputes. At hindi maayos, let us select the best athletes to represent the country,” said Vargas.
So far, new polls have been held in swimming, shooting and lawn tennis. As far as swimming is concerned, officials of the sport are still questioning the authority of Mark Joseph to call for new polls.
As for shooting, outgoing Philippine National Shooting Association president Richard Fernandez is questioning the procedures in the recent polls that installed former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson as their new head.
As for lawn tennis, the new leadership of lawyer Antonio Cablitas needs to resolve ongoing unification talks with the group of businessman-sportsman Jean Henri Lhuillier.
Vargas believes that the disputes should not affect the selection and training of national athletes who are competing in international meets.
In Monday’s meeting, preparations for the Asian Games as well as the 2019 SEA Games and the 2020 Olympics will be tackled.
Getting a new secretary general that will take the place of Steve Hontiveros and have a chief of staff in the POC will also be discussed.
There is also the possibility of replacing Hontiveros with Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines vice president Patrick Gregorio as the new secretary general.
He added that there’s a need to get the membership committee up and running, and that’s aside from putting a new arbitration committee in place.