Tiu elected table tennis interim prexy

MANILA, Philippines - Businessman John Rex Tiu has been elected interim president of the Table Tennis Association of the Philippines (TATAP) after Col. Cesar Hawthorne Binag resigned irrevocably as president last Sept. 19.

Majority of the eight of the TATAP board of trustees have elected Tiu, also a board of trustee member, through a board resolution No. 24 during a special meeting at the Prime Global’s Marikina Hotel on Saturday.

“We, the TATAP family, wish all the best in all Col. Binag’s future endeavors,” said Tiu, owner of different first class hotels in the Philippines including the Philippine table tennis  team’s official training center Marikina Hotel.

Binag, who was elected TATAP president in 2008, did not finish his four-year term after he was recently appointed senior executive assistant of Chief of Philippine National Police Nicanor Bartolome.

Tiu said the association eyes a medal finish in the 26th Southeast Asian Games slated on Nov. 11-22 in Indonesia, when the four men and four women national teams compete.

“The national team is presently undergoing a rigid training in Marikina Hotel from Monday to Friday and we’re hoping they will peak at the right time,” said Tiu. “We’re also pursuing a new grassroots development program this year.”

The national team is composed of Ting Ledesma, Richard Gonzales, Rodel Valle and coach Henberd Ortalla while the women’s are Sendrina Balatbat, Ayra Malabayabas, Crisanta Abas and Arlene Borja.

The Philippine Olympic Committee and the International Table Tennis Federation will review the board resolution that elected Tiu in accordance to their by-laws.