PHILIPPINE Football Federation chief Mariano Araneta is expected to challenge equestrian chief Jose “Peping” Cojuangco in his bid to retain the presidency of the Philippine Olympic Committee for a fourth term.
Araneta has reportedly expressed his interest to go after the POC post during the Olympic body’s polls on Nov. 25.
The PFF chief is on his second term with the local governing body for football body. He is expected to file his candidacy before the end of the week.
He is said to be focusing his energies on helping national sports associations in their bid to fix their organizational structures and aid in their development of grassroots programs.
Initially, Cojuangco emerged unopposed in his bid for a fourth term as POC president.
POC chairman Tom Carrasco was initially being groomed as the top challenger for the post, which Cojuangco held since 2004.
But in the last election of the Triathlon Association of the Philippines, Carrasco was voted secretary-general, making him ineligible to run as POC chief.
According to POC rules, candidates for president/chairman must come from the ranks of the heads of an NSA (National Sports Association), and they should be in office for four years and an active member of the Olympic body.