IT WILL BE cycling’s Abraham Tolentino and baseball’s Chito Loyzaga for the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) presidency in elections set late next month.
The showdown was arranged after Mr. Loyzaga, a former Philippine Basketball Association star and board member of the Philippine Sports Commission announced his candidacy as well as his slate.
“As the sports community continues to grow and evolve, the need for a cohesive and forward-thinking POC has never been more crucial,” said Philippine Amateur Baseball Association president in a statement.
“Our goal is to build an organization that empowers our athletes, supports our coaches, and collaborates openly with stakeholders to achieve excellence.”
It came a day after Mr. Tolentino, the PhilCycling chief, bared his own bid for a fresh four-year mandate.
Mr. Tolentino, for his part, stated “it’s about teamwork, it’s about setting and achieving goals, it’s about cooperation.”
Intriguingly, both election combatants have basketball’s Al Panlilio and surfing’s Dr. Raul Canlas in their rosters as candidates for first vice-president and treasurer, respectively.
The rest of Mr. Loyzaga’s line up will have squash’s Robert Bachmann as second VP, weightlifting’s Rod Roque as auditor and archery’s Peter Miguel, netball’s Charlie Ho, Kurash’s Rommel Miranda, gymnastics’ Derek Ramsay and equestrian’s Steven Virata as board members.
Running under Mr. Tolentino’s party are modern pentathlon’s Richard Gomez as second VP, volleyball’s Don Caringal as auditor and judo’s Ali Sulit, jiu-jitsu’s Ferdi Agustin, canoe-kayak’s Len Escollante, wrestling’s Alvin Aguilar and fencing’s Leah Jalandoni Gonzales as board members.
Mr. Loyzaga will have a campaign slogan of “Together for Excellence: A Peaceful, Inclusive, and Transparent POC for All” that reflects his dedication to building a POC that values every perspective and upholds the highest standards of leadership and governance.
“I am committed to fostering an atmosphere where inclusivity and unity guide our path forward,” he said. “I believe that a united and transparent POC will best serve our athletes, coaches, sports officials, and the entire Philippine sports community.”
Under Mr. Tolentino’s tenure, the country won a historic three gold medals — the first by weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz in the 2021 Tokyo Games and the other two by gymnast Carlos Yulo in the Paris Games last August.
Curiously, the Samahang Weighlifting ng Pilipinas and Gymnastics Association of the Philippines will have officials running under Mr. Loyzaga’s banner. — Joey Villar