Macapagal-Aventajado team-up final

The Art Macapagal-Robert Aventajado team-up is cast in stone.

The assurance came no less from Macapagal, the RP shooting association president who is seeking the presidency in the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Macapagal, a two-time Olympian who happens to be the half-brother of President Arroyo, will challenge incumbent POC president Jose Cojuangco of equestrian.

The POC elections are scheduled Nov. 28. There are 40 national sports associations (NSAs) with voting powers, and only a simple majority is needed to win the race.

“I will not break up the team,” said Macapagal in a text message from Europe yesterday amid reports that he is being lured to run as Cojuangco’s chairman instead.

Macapagal assured Aventajado, in his second term as POC chairman, that there is no turning back in their bid to injec t new life on the local Olympic body.

Aventajado eyed the presidency, too, but graciously stepped aside in favor of Macapagal. The taekwondo chief said he’d be happy to remain as chairman under a new president.

In the same text message, which was relayed to The STAR by triathlon president Tom Carrasco, Macapagal said he wants a different approach to the elections.

“We should try to refocus the media stories to our plans and programs and not on personalities. That is the cornerstone of all of us being together,” said Macapagal.

Carrasco said the idea of Macapagal running as chairman under the Cojuangco ticket will get nowhere.

“Sementado na ang Macapagal-Aventajado partnership. Art Macapagal will run for president and Robert Aventajado is our chairman,” said Carrasco.

Also playing a key role in the Macapagal candidacy is Celso Dayrit, head of the fencing association and POC president from 2000 to 2004.

Like Aventajado, Dayrit also wanted to run as president, but gave way to Macapagal.

“We all know that Cito (Dayrit) has his own loyal group. And now that we have Robert (Aventajado) we just got stronger because he also brings in some votes,” said Carrasco.

“We have the numbers although I am not in the position to give you all the names. You know how it is during elections,” said Carrasco, the POC secretary-general under Dayrit’s term.

In the bag are votes from rowing, dragon boat, gymnastics, softball, chess, sailing, squash, triathlon and of course shooting, fencing and taekwondo.

“These are the sure votes. And there’s more to come,” said Carrasco.