POC to select karate entries

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Olympic Committee will make sure that only the finest karatekas will get to represent the country in this year’s Asian Games in Indonesia.

Robert Aventajado, who heads the POC commission on arbitration and disputes, said the POC will conduct an elimination process among karatekas wanting to vie in the Asian Games in August.

“They will have to slug it out among themselves,” said the former POC chairman. At stake in the eliminations are four slots each in the men’s and women’s divisions.

The POC has taken over the affairs of the Philippine Karatedo Federation while it is under suspension from the World Karatedo Federation.

Aventajado said the POC will supervise the eliminations. But to make sure there is no bias, referees and judges from the WKF will handle the officiating.

“To make it fair to everyone, the WKF will officiate. There will be no bias in the officiating,” said Aventajado.

Aventajado hailed the PSC, including chairman William Ramirez and commissioner Ramon Fernandez, for allowing the POC to take charge of the karate situation.

“It signals the very good working relation between the POC and the PSC,” said Aventajado.

He said the selection should be done before the June 4 deadline for the submission of entries by name set by the Indonesian organizers.

“POC president Ricky Vargas wants the best karatekas to represent the country in the Asian Games. The POC will work on this, and will deal with the WKF so our karatekas could participate,” said Aventajado.

“The issues should not disenfranchise them,” said Vargas, referring to the Filipino karatekas.

The WKF withdrew its recognition of the PKF due to a controversy involving the alleged misuse of financial assistance from the Philippine Sports Commission.

Due to the controversy, the PSC stopped granting further support to the PKF.

The sports agency, however, will continue to support the athletes, and has agreed to shoulder the expenses to be incurred by the WKF officials coming in for the eliminations.

In the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, the Philippines fielded two male and four female karatekas, and brought home one bronze medal through Mae Soriano in the -55 kg of kumite.