Leadership dispute offshoot: PSC padlocks gymnastics center

MANILA, Philippines – Enforcing a set policy on National Sports Associations (NSAs) with leadership disputes, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Monday padlocked the gymnastics training venue inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Center. PSC chairman Harry Angping explained that the move is meant to ensure that the PSC will not be dragged into the controversy surrounding the gymnastics association, which has two groups claiming control. “The gym was ordered close to avert any possible trouble from two factions both claiming leadership of the NSA. We have received information that one group will try to wrestle control of the NSA’s office and facilities from the other, thus it was better to close the facility until the problem is resolved," Angping said in a statement. Closing down the facility of a troubled NSA inside the PSC-owned RMSC is not new for the agency as it earlier implemented the same policy in archery, badminton and wushu. Gymnastics president Chuck Buenaventura is in hot water after the association’s other stakeholders supposedly discovered that the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines’ registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has already been revoked since 2004 and thus is operating illegally. The disgruntled group held a Summit last Saturday at the house of John Arenas inside a posh subdivision in Makati City and decided to re-register the name. The group also named Arenas, the second of five children of socialite Baby Arenas, as the new president with former PSC commissioner and current Department of Tourism undersecretary Cynthia Carreon, a former ally of Buenaventura, as vice president. Buenaventura’s group, meanwhile, registered a new name with SEC called Samahan ng mga Gymnastika ng Pilipinas but the Philippine Olympic Committee and the international federation reportedly have yet to be informed of the change of name and still recognize GAP as its member in gymnastics. POC president Jose Cojuangco Jr. graced the Summit and had asked the Arenas group to submit documents, which the POC executive committee would use as basis for its deliberations on the group’s claim to legitimacy. Buenaventura, who voted against Cojuangco and sided with shooting president Art Macapagal in the last year’s POC election, is contesting the move of the disgruntled group. – GMANews.TV