No report has been written on it but it’s an open secret that Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann is on his way out. The rumors didn’t come as a surprise.

When Bachmann was appointed to head the top government sports agency on 30 December 2022, his marching orders from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was to make sure the country would have a successful hosting of the FIBA World Cup in 2023.

Bachmann, being a long-time executive of the Alaska Aces in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and chief implementer of the World Cup during its early stages, successfully carried out that mission, making sure that all government resources were properly utilized for the success of the prestigious 32-nation event.

But that’s not all. Bachmann was also at the helm when Team Philippines pulled off an impressive performance in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China — a feat that was made memorable by Gilas Pilipinas’ historic title run in the men’s basketball competition.

This year, Bachmann added another golden feather to his cap when the country won a pair of gold medals in the Paris Olympics. In short, it’s mission accomplished for him. Now it’s time for him to go. But finding a new PSC chief will not be easy, especially now that Philippine sports is enjoying its golden era with the emergence of athletes like Carlos Yulo and Hidilyn Diaz.

Aside from leading the athletes in sustaining the momentum brought by that glorious run in Paris, the new PSC chief also has to find ways to properly utilize the massive funds that will be coming from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, which had failed to remit the PSC’s full share from its gross annual income since 1993.

Based on initial computations, the additional funding amounts to a jaw-dropping P25 billion, giving the incoming PSC chief the “beautiful problem” of how to utilize it for the benefit of Filipino athletes.

The rumor mill has been busy floating the names of potential candidates. Rowing president Patrick Gregorio, former football chief Mariano “Nonong” Araneta, and incumbent PSC Commissioner Matthew “Fritz” Gaston are consistently being mentioned as Bachmann’s potential successor. Gregorio is said to be the favorite.

After a stellar career in the hospitality industry, Gregorio became a sports executive when the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas appointed him its first executive director when it was founded in 2007.

But his stint didn’t last long. He moved to the PBA to become the team governor of TNT Tropang Giga before joining his boss, Ricky Vargas, in the Philippine Olympic Committee as secretary general during the latter’s presidency in 2019.

He was also an incorporator of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee and is now the chief of the Philippine Rowing Association. Araneta is also very much qualified to be the next PSC chief.

A former football and basketball star at the University of the Philippines, the 69-year-old Araneta is a well-loved leader in the local sports community after he pumped life into the Philippine Football Federation that led to the birth of the wildly popular Philippine Azkals. He was also at the helm as chief of mission when the country won its first ever gold medal courtesy of Diaz in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

But more than his achievements, it’s Araneta’s integrity, leadership and ability to work with fellow sports leaders that more than qualify him for the job. In fact, he has been elected to the International Football Federation Council — a powerful body that puts a premium on the integrity of its members.

Of course, Gaston can’t be overlooked. The former Games and Amusement Board chairman is said to be doing a great job on the PSC board of commissioners, giving him no honeymoon period if and when he formally bags the highly coveted position.

But all these sterling credentials and solid political connections of these so-called favorites for the PSC chairmanship should be disregarded. They’re no longer important.

At this point, the only thing that matters is their integrity. They should be honest and fair with a loving heart for Filipino athletes. After all, what we need is a leader — not a boss.