Troubled NSAs must take hint from winning karateka

KUALA LUMPUR –"Leadership squabbles must not stop athletes from pursuing a mission to excel and serve the country well."

Thus said Philippine Sports Commission Chair Butch Tuason yesterday as he cited the heroics of karate-do athletes Jose Mari Pabillore and Gretchen Malalad in giving the Philippines its first two golds in the SEA Games as big lessons on how to buck the odds.

Tuason said that both Pabillore and Malalad are part of a karate-do association that was bugged by infighting even before the athletes left for Malaysia.

But apparently, according to Tuason, the two had made use of the support given them by the PSC-POC Task Force headed by Commissioner Richie Garcia when everything remained sour in the karate backyard.

"We just had to make quick action when we felt that they needed support and the PSC really gave the karate players the funds, equipment or foreign exposure that were available," Tuason said. "We literally adopted the national karate team."

As Malalad expressed his profuse gratitude to the PSC for coming to the rescue when interviewed by the broadcasting team, a touched Tuason relayed to the karatekas a special message: "There won’t be anymore troubles as soon as you come home."

The clincher, Garcia said, for the big showing of karate was when the PSC provided them with a new training venue at the PhilSports Arena.

Garcia said that it is not healthy doing such but the PSC is now realizing some sense in trouble-shooting especially in the training of the athletes.

National coaches David Lay, trainer Leah Rodriguez and the karate bets even went out of their way to thank the PSC in a pre-SEAG meeting with the press at Casa Marcos.

Pabillore became the first gold medallist for the Philippines when he took the men’s 80 kg. kumite and Malalad followed suit by topping the women’s 60 kg. individual kumite.

Aside from karate, internal differences are hounding other associations particularly basketball and cycling.