Major test

The 18th Asian Games in Jakarta next week are not just an ordinary tourney.

The Games serve as a major test to the resilience of the athletes, the leadership of national sports association (NSA) officials and how the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) was governed in the first six months of Ricky Vargas as president.

The buildup for the Games was not without trouble.

Shortly after Vargas assumed office in February, he replaced Jose “Peping” Cojuangco’s appointed chief of mission Julian Camacho with Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez that caused some delays in the selection process.

Then, the POC and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) had a deadlock over funding after the Commission on Audit (COA) demanded full liquidation of the money forwarded to the Olympic council as payment for the tracksuit and competition uniform in the 29th Southeast Asian Games.

Since the contract entered into by SEA Games chief of mission Cynthia Carrion and a private supplier was allegedly reeking with anomalies, the POC had a tough time drawing the P72-million budget that the PSC allotted for the country’s participation in the Asian Games.

Gomez and his deputy, Robert Bachmann, had to step in to spearhead the negotiation with the PSC, COA, POC executive board and private contractor and put the country’s preparation for the Asian Games back on track.

A couple of weeks later, another problem cropped up.

Some members of the POC executive council, most of them identified with Cojuangco, claimed that they were not informed when Vargas issued his go-signal to the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) to withdraw from the men’s basketball event of the Asian Games.

The board members expressed disappointment over Vargas’ move of not seeking consensus before announcing a very crucial decision.

Last week, one of the board members — Camacho — revealed that his name was suddenly scratched from the official list invited by the Olympic Council of Asia to the quadrennial event.

Camacho, the POC treasurer and a known Cojuangco ally, was fuming mad over his removal, saying that as the elected finance officer of the group, he is mandated to be in the Asian Games to oversee the national squad.

Camacho’s name has since been re-inserted, but the cracks in the relationship between Vargas’ group and the majority in the Olympic council further deepened.

Right now, Gomez is running out of time after his final choice as flag-bearer, Filipino – American NBA player Jordan Clarkson, remains doubtful due to eligibility problem.

Previous choices like Hidilyn Diaz of weightlifting and Daniel Caluag of cycling both backed off while Krizziah Tabora of bowling declined from after citing health reasons.

All these troubles are blows to a delegation that is looking to bounce back from a sorry solitary gold-medal finish in 2014.

It’s really heart-breaking because the National Team will be going to Jakarta with all the tools to emerge successful.

Japan-trained gymnast Caloy Yulo is said to have handsome chances in two events after a triumphant performance in the World Cup in Australia while boxers Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam are capable of winning a pair of mints after great performances during their training abroad.

Also tipped to deliver is Diaz, the Olympic silver medal winner, following the retirement of her bitter rival from Chinese Taipei and the two-year suspension slapped on the Chinese lifter.

Of course, hopes are also high on Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games stalwarts Meggie Ochoa and Annie Ramirez of jiu-jitsu and Kiyomi Watanabe of judo as well as the national men’s poomsae team of Rodolfo Reyes Jr., Dustin Jacob Mella and Raphael Enrico Mella, which remains undefeated in the past two editions of the Southeast Asian Games.

Sideliners are also counting on Filipino athletes in jetski, sports climbing, wushu and golf.

Should all of these athletes — or even half of them — deliver, it’s going to become the country’s best finish since the 1954 hostilities in Manila where Filipino athletes came up with 14 gold, 14 silver and 17 bronze medals.

Unfortunately, all these troubles are hampering our chances.

Yes, the Asian Games will be a major test.

But with the way things are going, it’s better to temper our expectations.