Step up your game, POC

Sports has become one of the Philippines’ most powerful forms of diplomacy.

When Alex Eala strides onto a tennis court, EJ Obiena clears a bar, the Yulo brothers take the floor, and Filipino boxers step into the ring — more than under their own names, they do so under the flag.

At a time when our news headlines are dominated by political quarrels, scandals and disasters, our athletes have given us something refreshingly uncomplicated: a reason to be proud.

That is precisely why Philippine sports deserves leadership equal to the athletes it represents.

And as the Philippine Olympic Committee trumpets the audacious goal of bringing the Asian Games back to the country in 2038, POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino’s record must be scrutinized.

Hosting Asia is not merely about having stadiums, hotels and an airport. It demands an institution capable of coordination, accountability, crisis management and, above all, keeping athletes at the center of Philippine sports.

Tolentino said recently it was time the Philippines made a bid for the 2038 Asian Games, more than eight decades after it hosted the event in 1954. It is a grand ambition — one that would require credible institutions.

Remember the 2019 Southeast Asian Games?

Before the opening ceremony, visiting delegations complained about transportation, accommodation, food and other logistical problems. Tolentino, already POC president, described the glitches as “normal” and urged the public to move on and focus on the athletes.

Perhaps problems are inevitable in an event involving thousands of athletes and officials. But “normal” should never be the standard excuse for preventable failures.

Then came the ugly EJ Obiena-Patafa dispute.

One of the country’s finest athletes was caught in a bitter public conflict with his own federation, the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa).

The POC Executive Board moved to suspend Patafa for 90 days after the federation refused to endorse Obiena for major international competitions. The POC General Assembly deferred action while mediation proceeded, and the sanction was eventually withdrawn after a settlement was brokered by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

The episode showed just how dysfunctional Philippine sports governance could be: an elite athlete got caught between institutions supposedly established to help him compete.

In 2023, another institutional dispute exploded publicly.

During the Hangzhou Asian Games, Tolentino declared “war” on the Philippine Sports Commission after the POC received a demand concerning P10 million in unliquidated financial assistance connected to the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games.

He questioned why the notice arrived during the Games and he accused the PSC of effectively stabbing the POC in the back.

There was another side. Then-PSC chairman Richard Bachmann said the notice came from the commission’s in-house Commission on Audit office, that he had not signed it and that CoA operated independently.

Whatever the merits of that accounting dispute, Philippine sports did not benefit from its two most important institutions fighting a public war while Filipino athletes were competing abroad.

And then came the disturbing fencing controversy in the 2025 SEA Games.

POC vice president and Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez was caught on CCTV striking Philippine Fencing Association president Rene Gacuma during an altercation in Thailand. Gomez did not deny that a physical confrontation occurred and publicly explained that his anger stemmed from the association’s decision involving fencer Alexa Larrazabal.

Gacuma filed a complaint with the Philippine delegation’s chef de mission, while the POC said it was awaiting a report on the incident.

The underlying dispute over the athlete could be investigated. The competing accusations could be heard. But violence among sports officials should never be normalized.

An Olympic committee is supposed to embody sportsmanship, discipline and respect. Those principles cannot apply only to athletes on the field while officials are permitted to forget them outside it. This is the deeper issue confronting Tolentino and the POC.

The question is not whether Philippine athletes can succeed. They already have.

The question is whether Philippine sports institutions can rise to their level.

Tolentino deserves credit where the record supports it. The POC defended Obiena’s ability to compete during his bitter dispute with Patafa. The Philippines’ bid to host the 2033 SEA Games was unanimously approved by the SEA Games Federation Council, subject to government support.

But leadership cannot be measured only by medals collected or hosting rights pursued.

Tolentino wants the Philippines to pursue the 2038 Asian Games. Sen. Bong Go has backed the idea, saying a successful hosting could boost tourism and economic activity. The ambition itself is worth serious consideration.

But before dreaming of welcoming Asia, Philippine sports officials should prove that the country’s sports institutions can meet the same world-class standard demanded of athletes.

Filipino athletes already perform under unforgiving standards. They train for years for the privilege of carrying the flag.

Those entrusted with governing them should demonstrate the same discipline, accountability and professionalism.

Filipino athletes have shown they can compete with the world. The institution behind them must prove it can do the same.