Angping plays peacemaker among NSAs

By Julius Manicvad

02/09/2010

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Harry Angping plans to play troubleshooter among warring leaders of the various national sports associations (NSAs) so he can assemble a winning team to the Guangzhou Asian Games late this year.

Angping said yesterday he is ready to broker talks among leaders of troubled NSAs to avoid a disaster similar to what happened during the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Laos, where the cycling group headed by businessman Mikee Romero was barred from competing.

Save for Maritess Bitbit, the entire cycling team went home without breaking a sweat after failing to present necessary playing permits issued by Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and the Union Cyliste Internationale. The debacle cost Team Philippines at least three to five gold medals, something which could have improved its fifth-place finish in the 11-nation conclave.

Cycling, however, is not the lone NSA split into two factions.

Angping said billiards, wushu, badminton, archery and equestrian are also having political unrests with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) taking sides depending on its ally. The group of Sebastian Chua in the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP), for one, already made it clear that they won’t blink in its battle for control against the faction of Arturo “Bong” Ilagan.

Months before the SEA Games last year, it was Angping who bridged the gap in the BSCP, paving the way for the assembly of the “Dream Team” led by the legendary Efren “Bata” Reyes, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Ronnie Alcano, Roberto Gomez and Rubilen Amit, who delivered two of the team’s three gold medals.

“Mahirap ang trabaho ko dito, I have to play referee on both sides,” said Angping. “Billiards is not yet even settled. I talked to Sebastian Chua and he said he wants to take control in forming a team to the Asian Games. If this will not be settled, we might have the same situation like that in cycling.”

Angping said Asian Games chief of mission Joey Romasanta could also help in brokering talks since he is known as a diplomatic and mild-mannered leader.

There is no formal meeting yet, but Angping added that he will gladly sit down with POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco’s trusted lieutenant to settle the matter.

“I’m hoping to sit down with Joey Romasanta one of these days to thresh things out,” he said. “We should be gentlemen enough to talk and know the problem of each NSA so we’ll have the chance of sending the best possible team.”

The PSC is eyeing at least 10 gold medals, an impressive improvement from the four-gold medal finish in Doha four years ago. Bulk of those medals, he said, might come from dragon boat, traditional boat race, bowling and chess.

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