POC drops plan to let RP riders compete in Laos SEA Games

from GMA news http://www.gmanews.tv/story/178952/poc- ... -sea-games

This came after the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), in a special executive board meeting, Wednesday decided to forego with its plan to let the 13-member cycling team compete in the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Laos.

The Philippine cycling team failed to secure accreditation from the International Cycling Union (Union Cycliste Internationale UCI), the world governing body for the sport.

The biggest casualty of the group was Bitbit, a potential winner of three gold medals in five events where she’s scheduled to see action – cross country, downhill, mountain bike, road race and Individual Time Trial (ITT).

Bitbit, a gold medal winner in the road race event in the 2007 SEA Games in Nakhon Ratchasima, is the only rider who has the blessings to compete here from both the two warring cycling groups back in the country.

It was not a welcome news for the 30-year old rider, who was disappointed with the way things turned out. "We were told that everything is okay, that all of us would compete. Yun pala hindi. Nakakababa talaga ng morale yun."

POC sports and rules chair Go Teng Kok completely failed in his quest to give the 12 cyclists UCI recognition despite assuring that everything will be resolved as soon as the riders stepped into this landlocked country.

Though the PSC did not spend a single centavo for the cyclists, the POC still pushed the trip with patron Mikee Romero standing as the chief sponsor upon Go’s backing.

Romero and Tagaytay Mayor Bambol Tolentino are locked in the battle for the PhilCycling leadership, although Romero has taken a leave of absence last month.
We were told that everything is okay, that all of us would compete. Yun pala hindi. Nakakababa talaga ng morale yun.
– Marites Bitbit

Two Filipino riders, 2007 SEA Games gold medalist Joey Barba and Filipino-French recruit Scott Remie, were barred already from competing in the downhill mountain bike competition by the UCI at the start of the cycling competition Wednesday despite Go and the SEAG Federation’s persistence.

Humbled by the UCI’s decision, Go said he will propose before the POC executive council to declare UCI president Pat McQuaid and Tolentino as persona non-grata in the Philippines.

He will also bring the matter before the 11 members of the Federation to ban both cycling executives from entering their respective countries.

The Federation, he claimed, was in unison in appealing before the UCI to field the Filipino riders in Laos’ first-ever hosting of the Games. He cited Malaysia and Vietnam – two countries which are expected to dominate cycling – as the bloc actively pushing for the Filipinos’ participation. – GMANews.TV

Hirap talaga sa pinas. kahit pulitika sa cycling mahirap.

nanakot pa ng persona non-grata. baka ang pinas na hindi maka UCI.
Pangit na tuloy ang tingin ng UCI sa mga pinoy.

kaya nga executive racers na lang bumubuhay sa mga karera sa ati. Gone are the people behind Marlboro tour.

pulitika sa cycling! no doubt . sa sobrang mahal ng mga pyesa ng bike. madami talaga magkaka interes. hehehehehe.

pero no matter what, ang gusto ko sa mga pinoy na tulad natin eh proud pa din tayo na pinoy tayo. kita naman sa mga jersey. sa bike stickers. yung forum na to. o di ba :lol:

GIANT wrote:pero no matter what, ang gusto ko sa mga pinoy na tulad natin eh proud pa din tayo na pinoy tayo. kita naman sa mga jersey. sa bike stickers. yung forum na to. o di ba :lol:

Tumpak Mr. Giant :cheers:

Pero nakakasama talaga ng loob kapag nakakabasa ka ng
news na ganito dahil lang sa politika.

VIENTIANE - The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) is meeting with officials of the Southeast Asian Games organizing committee for the second time on Saturday with the hope of salvaging the country's participation in cycling.

Two groups are contesting the leadership in cycling back home, one headed by sportsman Mikee Romero and the other by Tagaytay Mayor Abraham Tolentino.

Romero's group is recognized by the POC while Tolentino is backed by the International Cycling Union, the world governing body for cycling.

The Asian Cycling Union, which will supervise cycling in the Games, had announced that only cyclists sent by Tolentino would be allowed to compete.

Go Teng Kok, who represents POC president Peping Cojuangco, claimed that he had been assured by the organizing committee that the cyclists would be allowed to see action.

"Suddenly, they reneged on their promise," said Go who flew Thursday in a last-ditch attempt to save the RP riders' participation.

Go met with SEAG officials Friday, but failed to secure firm commitment.

At press time, Go was in another round of meeting. If he would be unsuccessful, Go said he would present the country's case to the SEA Games Council for resolution.

Go said another option is to file a case with the Court of Arbitration in Sports based in Switzerland.

Filipino cyclists bagged four gold medals in Thailand.

Victor Espiritu won the men's point race, Alfie Catalan captured the men's individual pursuit, Joey Barba bagged the men's downhill event in mountain bike and Maritess Bibit emerged on top in the women's individual road race.

Catalan, Barba, and Bibit head the 13-man cycling team that is set to join the main delegation on Sunday.

The others are Irish Valenzuela, Jan Paul Morales, Eusebio Quinonas, Frederick Feliciano, March McQuin Aleonar, Alvin Benosa, Scott Remie, Ana Marissa Remigio, Julius Mark Bonzo, and Ronald Gorantes.

Two months ago, a local court stopped the group of Tolentino from representing Philcycling and forming a team for the SEA Games.

UPDATE:

" PSC chief laments UCI ban
By Abac Cordero (The Philippine Star) Updated December 09, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Sports Commission chairman Harry Angping yesterday said it's such a pity that Filipino cyclists who went to Laos for the 25th SEA Games won't get the chance to compete.

"This was a lost opportunity for the country," said Angping following reports that the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world's governing body in the sport, closed the doors on the RP cyclists.

The 13 Filipino cyclists went to Laos unsure of their fate because they don't belong to the RP cycling association being recognized by the UCI, in this case the one headed by Tagaytay City Mayor Bambol Tolentino.

Those who went to Laos, including three coaches, a mechanic and a masseur, belong to the group of businessman Mikee Romero, who is on leave. They carried everything they needed to win, except the go-signal from the international federation.

The group was not part of the 153 athletes whose trips to Laos were funded by the Philippine Sports Commission. Instead, it was the Philippine Olympic Committee, which recognizes the Romero group, which took care of their expenses.

The POC must have spent close to a million pesos for the 13 cyclists and their officials if based on the previous computation of P70,000 per head, including airfare, board and lodging, and allowances.

"Sending a team that would inevitably be prohibited from competing was a waste of resources," added Angping.

"We could have assembled and sent the best qualified and (UCI) licensed riders who have the biggest chance of winning at least one or two gold medals in this event," added the PSC chairman.

In the days leading to the SEA Games, Angping stood in between the two warring factions, and offered a solution that at least for the moment, they could set their differences aside and field a "Dream Team."

But it was not meant to be, and cyclists who belong to Tolentino's group, all licensed by the UCI, were left behind.

"Like in the case of billiards where I interceded between both groups and we ended up with a win-win solution, sending the best qualified athletes who will be able to deliver the golds for our country," Angping said.

Meanwhile, Angping yesterday branded as lies text messages saying that the RP water polo team that won the silver medal in Laos the other day was not funded by the PSC.

"Our polo players did their best for the country and played with both their hearts and minds to win. The government's failure to support them was unfair, arbitrary and another example of this administration' s stupidity," said RP swimming head Mark Joseph in his text.

Angping said that was not the case, and since the RP water polo team also won a silver in the 2007 SEA Games in Thailand, it passed the PSC criteria and therefore received all the benefits accorded to the rest of the 153 athletes under the PSC list.

"We supported them all the way. Water polo team was part of the PSC contingent," said Angping.

"They were provided with privileges such as the (extra) P7,500 training allowance, free lunch from Nov. 2 until departure, luggage, parade and competition uniforms, vitamins, equipment, including shot clocks requested by Laos (organizers) , roundtrip tickets, travel allowances of $30 per day, accommodation of $50 per night, and additional $100 travelling allowance from PSC," said a member of Angping's staff."

Bitbit: They ruined my bid
Top rider ordered to join banned RP cyclists

By Francis T.J. Ochoa
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:55:00 12/14/2009

Filed Under: Cycling, Southeast Asian Games



AN EMOTIONAL MARITESS BITBIT broke down in a television interview after her final appeal to join the cycling competition of the 25th Laos Southeast Asian Games was shot down by the organizing committee.

She also bared the details that led to her being stricken off the list of participants.

“I have a legitimate license, I have the right to compete,” a sobbing Bitbit told NBN Sports’ Snow Badua.

“I pleaded with the SEA Games organizing committee but it said I can’t compete anymore.”

In the interview, the heartbroken Bitbit revealed how she was asked by the Philippine Olympic Committee to join a united stand by the 12 other Filipino cyclists who were banned from the Games because they had no license from the national federation recognized by the International Cycling Federation (UCI).

“In-explain ko sa kanila (POC) ‘yung training ko, ‘yung sacrifices ko, ‘yung chance ko—s’yempre laro ko ito eh—pero sabi nila sa akin, ‘pag naglaro ako, magiging selfish ako, magiging hudas ako (I explained to them my training, my sacrifices, my chances, but they told me that if I compete I’d be selfish and betray people),” Bitbit said in between sobs.

Although she did not identify who exactly she explained her side to, she did say that she spoke with POC president Jose (Peping) Cojuangco Jr., asking him in Filipino, “What about my situation? I’m here to compete.”

“I won’t tell you his (Cojuangco) answer but I don’t like what he said,” Bitbit told Badua in Filipino. “Na-deprive talaga ako, para akong walang kakampi (They deprived me, I didn’t have a friend to turn to).”

Caught in the crossfire of two warring cycling groups, Bitbit had tried to stay low key and avoid the political problems hounding her sport.

Bitbit enjoys the support of the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines, headed by Tagaytay Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and recognized by the UCI and the Philippine Sports Commission.

The cyclists who weren’t granted licenses were members of a rival cycling faction that the POC brought to Laos in a bid to get them to compete despite having no UCI license.

“Alam ko PSC ako at puro POC ang kasama ko, pero ’di ko na naisip ‘yun kasi hindi pang sarili ‘yan,” Bitbit wept. “Para sa pamilya ko, para sa bansa. Hindi ako selfish.”

Bitbit stood to earn P300,000 for every gold medal she wins in her three events.

Controversy arose when reports from Laos had it that Cojuangco personally talked to Bitbit in her quarters and asked her to make a stand by withdrawing from the competition.

Until Bitbit’s revelation, there was little confirmation that such a talk took place as it was made to look as if she made a stand in behalf of her disqualified teammates.

Bitbit tried to appeal to the organizing committee but was told that “the Olympic committee of the Philippines decided to withdraw all the cyclists.”

December 13, Men's individual time trial: That Luang - Thadeua 40km
Ariehaan claims time trial title

By:
Jean-François Quénet
Published:
December 13, 15:01,
Updated:
December 13, 15:07

Indonesia's veteran warriors still the best South East Asia



Indonesians Ryan Ariehaan and Tonton Susanto scored an interesting 1-2 in Vientiane, Laos, in the 25th Sea Games, which are the "Olympics" of the 11 countries from South East Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Timor Leste).

"I was hoping to win but I didn’t expect it so much because I didn’t have a proper race program to prepare for these games," said Ariehaan, who is the defending champion for the road race, but had never won the time trial at the Sea Games before.

Previous champion Prajak Mahawong from Thailand was surprisingly beaten by Vietnamese Cong Hieu Mai for the bronze medal. "He never found the right rhythm," said Thailand’s French coach Sébastien Duclos.

Ariehaan posted an average speed of 38.413km/h despite the hot weather conditions and being known as a climber. At the age of 30, he remains one of the best riders in Asia. "I’m looking for a team for next year," said the former LeTua rider, who was has been left without a squad for more than one year already.

However, second-placed Susanto, 37, is set to return with Iranian outfit Azad University. With retirement around the corner, the winner of the 2008 Jelajah Malaysia reckons these Sea Games will be the last of his career.

Indonesia is also very likely to get the gold medal for the road race on Monday with sprinter Samai, who this year became the only South East Asian rider to have won a stage at Le Tour de Langkawi. As the course is relatively flat, a duel is expected with Malaysia’s Anuar Manan.

The road race peloton will be missing the participation of Cambodia and the Philippines due to national federation failures.
Results
1 Ryan Ariehaan (Indonesia) 1:01:58
2 Tonton Susanto (Indonesia) 0:00:10
3 Mai Cong Hieu (Vietnam) 0:00:21
4 Prajak Mahawong (Thailand) 0:00:55
5 Phuchong (Thailand) 0:01:52
6 Ng Yong Li (Malaysia) 0:02:47
7 Anousay (Lao People's Democratic Republic) 0:04:41
8 Jesus Da Costa (Timor-Leste) 0:21:51
DNF Somphavanh (Lao People's Democratic Republic)

************************
sayang at kaya ng mga pinoy riders yan 1hour 40km ITT
Sana sumali nalang si coach michel at may UCI license siya. represent geylang!!! :cheers: