Fernandez intensifies call for Cojuango's ouster, change in Philippine sports

CEBU, Philippines — Cebuano sports officials, athletes, coaches, and some supporters converged at Fuente Circle yesterday morning in a constructive protest to call out for change in the Philippine sports scene.

Philippine Sports Commissioner Ramon 'El Presidente' Fernandez led the peaceful gathering attended by close to 500 athletes, who are under the grassroots development program of the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC), and their coaches.

"This is really a gathering of athletes, coaches, sports aficionados, and sports supporters calling for peace in Philippine sports and change of course,” said Fernandez.

“You look at the performance of the national team from way back 2005 when we won the SEA Games championship winning most medals, it has dwindled up to now. We feel that there is a need to change the leadership upstairs especially from the National Sports Associations (NSAs) and the Philippine Olympic Committee. They don't have a clear-cut program. Also, this is a call to cut the practice of favoritism in fielding athletes to the national team wherein the coaches have the last say even without going through proper selection process," he added.

From his standpoint, the Filipino basketball great said the divisiveness among sports leaders is the underyling reason of Phl's dismal showing in major international competitions, the most latest was during the Malaysia SEAG last month wherein the country had a disastrous sixth-place finish with a 24-gold haul that did not even meet half of the projected 50 gilts.

“This is a call for change. Sports is all about the athletes, this is not about sports officials. Athletes are the centerpiece and the leaders should not take credit of their achievements. The athletes are the number one actor behind their performances. All leaders must only be there as a support group. We just provide the athletes opportunities for them to show their wares. It is about time to really make a change.”

Fernandez believes that with the kind of leadership Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. shows in the POC, the commission needs a new leadership, a young blood who is more capable to serve.

“At 83 years old, he (Cojuangco) should already retire because there are a lot of young blood who are willing to serve and have the capability to serve. If we based it on record, the more he should resign since the time he sat in his position until now, our performance has plummeted to lower depths. This is really a call for him. He should have pity to our Filipino athletes,” lamented the most vocal critic of Cojuangco.

In the same breath, Fernandez hopes that the internal conflict within the POC shall be fixed accordingly in order to have a peaceable mode in the national sports scene before the country’s hosting of the 2019 SEA Games.

He vowed that this will not be the first and last rally in Cebu of such kind.

“This is not going to be the last rally. We are going to do something until we are able to enforce change."

Also present during the gathering was CCSC chairman Ed Hayco, who personally supported Fernandez’s objective to improve and bring change in Philippine sports for the sole benefit of the athletes.“We want to have a better future for sports. That's the message we want to send to everyone, to all the sports committee in the Philippines. It’s a positive protest, we are wishing for a bright future (for the athletes). Fuente is a symbolic ground, where you want to express a message to whoever and this case, we want to send a message to the sporting community that we want to have a bright future. To the athletes, we want to transform your life in a positive way through sports, that's actually that what keeps me going. It’s our little contribution, our commitment,” said Hayco. (FREEMAN)