‘Ming’ willing to set another election to end badminton dispute

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Badminton Association (PBA) president Amelita “Ming" Ramos is willing to subject herself to another vote in her desire to end the leadership problem in the association. Ramos is in a different situation compared with other National Sports Associations (NSAs) with leadership squabble since she sits as president of the two groups disputing control of the PBA. The former First Lady, who’s been at the helm of the PBA since 1994, got a fresh mandate from her own group last January. Its rival group, headed by former ally Errol Chan, also held its own election last May 9 and installed Ramos as president, albeit with a different set of board members. But Ramos maintained her position against recognizing the Chan group’s election, which got the backing of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC). Ramos branded it as illegal because it “was not in accordance with the PBA’s Constitution and By Laws" and that the membership used was an “outdated" 2007 list. “I have suggested to the POC before that they shelve the May 9 election and instead (we) will call an election after this Open (Philippine Open Invitational tournament slated this week). If the other group would want it to happen, I'm willing to call for that election to settle this problem once and for all," said Ramos. She, however, maintained that the election should use the PBA’s new list of voters instead of the 2007 roster, which she said has already been updated to include new individuals in place of retired and inactive members. Badminton is one of nine sports currently beset with leadership disputes, along with archery, billiards, cycling, equestrian, wrestling, wushu, dragon boat and swimming. Ramos concurred with the observation that the NSAs’ mess is an aftermath of the POC polls last November but stressed that it did not start from the group of shooting president Art Macapagal, who contested the POC presidency with Cojuangco. “You can see for yourself that majority of the NSAs with problems are from associations who voted for Macapagal. I just hope that they understand that we have our right to choose whom we want to be the POC president but politics should end after the winner in the poll was declared," explained Ramos. - GMANews.TV