Christmas was in the air during the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) thanksgiving party last Thursday at a hotel in Pasay City.

No less than POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino hosted the luncheon, which was graced by some members of the POC executive council, including secretary general Wharton Chan and executive directors Len Escollante, Alvin Aguilar and Don Caringal.

In one magical afternoon, the guests acted like long-lost friends swapping gifts and stories while feasting on Japanese food with Christmas melodies playing in the background.

It was truly an affair to remember. Still, the gathering was more than just a thanksgiving lunch or a Christmas party. It was also a special day that — hopefully — marked the end of hostilities and mudslinging in the Olympic family.

Sitting in one corner of the packed function hall were some executives who were aligned with the opposition. Charlie Ho of netball, Jonie Go of field hockey, Jay Adalem of handball, and Cynthia Carrion of gymnastics were seen getting cozy with other POC members and even congratulating Tolentino for winning the POC elections over Chito Loyzaga of baseball by a wide margin.

Just last week, the POC was a house divided.

Tolentino gunned for another four-year term as POC president and was fiercely challenged by Loyzaga in an emotional electoral showdown between two distinguished officials who used to be part of the same team.

What made the election emotional — and very controversial — was the threat of a temporary restraining order (TRO) sought by an executive closely aligned with Loyzaga, Robert Bachmann of squash.

Bachmann, the brother of incumbent Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann, tried to have a local court intervene and stop the holding of the POC elections by arguing that Tolentino should be barred from seeking the presidency since he is also an elected official, being the mayor of Tagaytay City.

The TRO, however, didn’t come, and Tolentino went on to post one of the most lopsided victories in POC history — 45 to 15.

Like any other organization, the POC isn’t free of internal politics.

Since the time of Cristy Ramos, Celso Dayrit, Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, and other POC presidents before them, there has always been unrest in the local Olympic family.

The biggest and most controversial squabble in the POC happened when Ricky Vargas decided to run for the POC presidency in 2016 but was disqualified for failing to meet the required minimum attendance at general assembly meetings.

He brought the matter to the Pasig Regional Trial Court, which ordered the POC to hold another election in 2018.

Vargas won the election, but it wasn’t a cakewalk for him. When he took over in 2018, his administration was stormed by various controversies, including the formation of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee in 2019, which eventually forced him to step down.

His resignation, however, opened the window of opportunity for Tolentino, who eventually beat three challengers: Philip Ella Juico of athletics, Clint Aranas of archery, and recently, Loyzaga in controversial fashion.

You see, achieving peace in an organization like the POC isn’t easy. There will always be attacks, mudslinging, and criticisms, especially from those who used to run the organization.

But having a peaceful POC is necessary.

As they say, you can’t raise good athletes if you have chaotic leadership. The success of the athletes depends on how the POC is governed. How can you run your training program if you have officials who are fighting like monkeys during general assembly meetings?

That’s why the move of four officials aligned with Loyzaga — Ho, Go, Adalem, and Carrion — to attend the POC thanksgiving party was truly commendable. They know that the elections are over and it’s time for them to reach out and unite, not just for their political survival, but for the welfare of their athletes.

The POC is like a family. They may have disagreements, but at the end of the day, what matters is how they extend their hand to show sportsmanship, camaraderie and friendship like true sportsmen.