POC chief willing to help SEAG-bound cyclists

Place the cyclists under the Philippine Olympic Committee’s care. This was the suggestion made by POC president Jose “Peping" Cojuangco following another chapter of controversy in the National Sports Association (NSA) of cycling. The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) recently suspended all allowances of the national cyclists and coaches under the wing of PhilCycling president and Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham “Bambol" Tolentino due to the ongoing leadership crisis in the said NSA. “Put all the cyclists that have a potential to compete in the Southeast Asian Games under the care of POC until such time that the contending parties resolve their issues," said Cojuangco in the POC and PSC’s weekly program on radio station dzSR. Tolentino, the recognized PhilCycling president by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), has a leadership dispute with another group headed by former PSC chairman Philip Ella Juico. “Both parties should agree that whoever is selected will be given accreditation by the international federation," Cojuangco said. Cojuangco reiterated his plea that the two warring factions resolve their differences soon, what with the Southeast Asian Games to be held this year. Cojuangco said that he does not want to have a repeat of the 2009 SEA Games debacle in Laos where no Filipino cyclists competed due to the leadership crisis. A unification race for the cyclists was held last year that served as tryouts for the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, but efforts to unify both camps have yet to happen. “Hopefully, they will get together and get a third person to determine who should be the true members of the NSA, and then schedule an election," said Cojuangco. The POC agreed with the PSC’s decision to strip the allowances, stating that the government sports agency is protecting government funds. “We concur with the PSC’s decision," Cojuangco said. – JVP, KY, GMANews.TV