PSC chief laments UCI ban

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Sports Commission chairman Harry Angping yesterday said it’s such a pity that Filipino cyclists who went to Laos for the 25th SEA Games won’t get the chance to compete.

“This was a lost opportunity for the country,” said Angping following reports that the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world’s governing body in the sport, closed the doors on the RP cyclists.

The 13 Filipino cyclists went to Laos unsure of their fate because they don’t belong to the RP cycling association being recognized by the UCI, in this case the one headed by Tagaytay City Mayor Bambol Tolentino.

Those who went to Laos, including three coaches, a mechanic and a masseur, belong to the group of businessman Mikee Romero, who is on leave. They carried everything they needed to win, except the go-signal from the international federation.

The group was not part of the 153 athletes whose trips to Laos were funded by the Philippine Sports Commission. Instead, it was the Philippine Olympic Committee, which recognizes the Romero group, which took care of their expenses.

The POC must have spent close to a million pesos for the 13 cyclists and their officials if based on the previous computation of P70,000 per head, including airfare, board and lodging, and allowances.

“Sending a team that would inevitably be prohibited from competing was a waste of resources,” added Angping.

“We could have assembled and sent the best qualified and (UCI) licensed riders who have the biggest chance of winning at least one or two gold medals in this event,” added the PSC chairman.

In the days leading to the SEA Games, Angping stood in between the two warring factions, and offered a solution that at least for the moment, they could set their differences aside and field a “Dream Team.”

But it was not meant to be, and cyclists who belong to Tolentino’s group, all licensed by the UCI, were left behind.

“Like in the case of billiards where I interceded between both groups and we ended up with a win-win solution, sending the best qualified athletes who will be able to deliver the golds for our country,” Angping said.

Meanwhile, Angping yesterday branded as lies text messages saying that the RP water polo team that won the silver medal in Laos the other day was not funded by the PSC.

“Our polo players did their best for the country and played with both their hearts and minds to win. The government’s failure to support them was unfair, arbitrary and another example of this administration’s stupidity,” said RP swimming head Mark Joseph in his text.

Angping said that was not the case, and since the RP water polo team also won a silver in the 2007 SEA Games in Thailand, it passed the PSC criteria and therefore received all the benefits accorded to the rest of the 153 athletes under the PSC list.

“We supported them all the way. Water polo team was part of the PSC contingent,” said Angping.

“They were provided with privileges such as the (extra) P7,500 training allowance, free lunch from Nov. 2 until departure, luggage, parade and competition uniforms, vitamins, equipment, including shot clocks requested by Laos (organizers), roundtrip tickets, travel allowances of $30 per day, accommodation of $50 per night, and additional $100 travelling allowance from PSC,” said a member of Angping’s staff.