Crisis over: Reformed PH tennis hopes lifting of suspension next 

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino feels relieved that the political sports crisis within the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) has ended following the election of new officers on Monday, December 11.

Parañaque City Mayor Eric Olivarez was elected president of the reformed Philta in the proceedings authorized by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and supervised by the POC.

With the election of the new Philta’s board of trustees done – and its executive officials elected – what’s left now is for the POC to report the successful proceedings that would pave the way for the ITF lifting of the Philippines’ suspension in the sport, which has dragged on for almost three years.

“It’s done, the election was held and there’s a new set of officers,” Tolentino said after the elections held at the Century Park Hotel in Manila.

“We’re going to report this to the ITF to finally lift the suspension on Philta,” said Tolentino, who was overwhelmed by the huge turnouts of members from the country’s 13 regions.

“We didn’t expect this huge attendance,” he said.

A total of 158 clubs all over the country had filed for memberships with 119 of them getting approval from the election committee headed by POC secretary-general Atty. Wharton Chan with deputy legal Atty. Billy Sumagui and deputy secretary-general Carl Sambrano as members.

Also elected were Olongapo City mayor Rolen Paulino as vice president, Calabarzon’s Gerardo Alcala as treasurer, and Mimaropa’s Theodore Jose Matta as internal auditor.

The other members of the board voted independently by their respective regions were Bicol’s Franzes Khu Camacho, Western Visayas’s Theodore Dy, Ilocos Region’s Elmaerwin Sibucao, Mindanao’s Gilbert Paylado, Cordillera Autonomous Region’s Dickerson Laruan, Cagayan Valley’s Fernando Silapan, Eastern Visayas’s Joile Mondragon, Central Visayas’ Jean Henri Lhuiller, Caraga’s Dyan Castillejo, and April Toledo for Gender Equity. – Rappler.com