Fear not government intervention in PHL sports

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu’s Nov. 3 edition)

IN an opinion piece for the Manila Standard, Ronnie Nathanielsz said Ricky Vargas won’t take the decision to disqualify him to court because it might lead to the country’s suspension from the International Olympic Committee.

I hope Vargas, the only NSA president in the country who offered to resign after an unsuccesful Olympic stint, will change his mind and take the decision to court.

Because at this point, a suspension from the International Olympic Committee might not even be a bad thing at all. Heck, it might be the shot that Philippine sports needs. A government intervention is what is really needed to get things in order.

We get suspended, so what? We miss the Southeast Asian Games in 2017 and worse, even the Asian Games in 2018?

There is more to Philippine sports that the international meets and judging by how our various national sports associations has been wrecked by political infighting, a suspension could lead to sweeping changes in all NSAs. A change from the top down to the bottom as what anothe writer Rick Olivares is proposing.

It can be done. The Philippine Football Federation showed that it can be done. Formerly an old boys club of “scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours,” the PFF is now more transparent, democratic and responsive. Before, you can cry about corruption all you want, the officials know that as long as you grease the local FA presidents, you’d stay in power. Now, even the presidents for life in the local FAs has been ousted, replaced by officers who have football at their heart.

Of course, that is not to say, the PFF is without its fault but I’d take this version anytime over the previous version.

And if we do get suspended by the IOC, it’s time we look into the affairs of all NSAs. If a Vargas suit might lead to a suspension by IOC, then by all means, the PSC should intervene. Look at volleyball, the country’s second most popular sport. We have two NSAs because the over-staying Peping Cojuangco intervened.

Look at swimming, table tennis and all the other NSAs that are squabbling. Get rid of all incumbents if needed. Make some meaningful changes.

NSAs stay in power by threatening that removing the incumbents in office may lead to a suspension from their international organizations due to government intervention. If we get suspended by the IOC, that threat is gone.

The IOC loathes it when governments intervene, but in the case of Philippine sports, it’s time we intervene in the affairs of the Philippines’ sickly sports scene.