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Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Organizers should have disqualified swimmer: coach
By Marian C. Baring
Sun.Star Correspondent
The University of Cebu swimming mentor expressed dismay at the organizers' decision to allow bemedalled swimmer Loren Echavez to compete in last weekend's Milo Little Olympics.
Rolando Alvarez said that prior to the opening of the meet, they showed proof that Echavez competed in an international competition.
During the coaches' meeting, swimming manager Dr. Gil Ramas announced that Echavez and Roann Fernandez could not compete. However, the decision changed in favor of Echavez, while Fernandez was denied participation, having been proven to be a member of the RP junior triathlon team.
"I am dismayed at their decision. Unfortunately, our evidence was rejected and not a lot of coaches were willing to back me up to make a formal complaint because they know that the organizers will uphold their decision," Alvarez said.
Downloaded copy
Alvarez said that before the start of the meet, he and some coaches downloaded a copy of a result from the official website of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Age Group swimming meet, which was held last June in Jakarta, and presented it to organizers as evidence.
"It was proof that she represented the country in an international competition," he said.
Alvarez said that based on the bylaws, representing the country is ground for a student athlete to be disqualified to join Milo.
However, in an earlier interview, tournament director Danilo Villadolid told Sun.Star Cebu that the rules stipulate that athletes would be disqualified if they are receiving monthly allowances from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
Database
Villadolid and the crew had the names checked with the PSC office database and found out that Echavez is not an RP team member. Villadolid also said they could not base their decisions on a downloaded result.
Echavez's coach Tito Bonilla of the University of San Carlos admitted Echavez's participation in the SEA competition, but since she is not officially under the PSC payroll, she is eligible to compete.
"The rules are clear. She (Echavez) is qualified to compete and she deserves to win. She worked really hard for this. She trained hard and she has discipline that is why she was able to come up with a good performance," Bonilla said of his protégée.
Echavez won five gold medals and shattered two ten-year-old swim records, leading her to win the Most Outstanding Athlete (MOA) accolade. Had Echavez not been allowed to compete, a likely candidate to take the MOA award is Alvarez's player Paula Vega, who won four gold medals.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (September 19, 2006 issue)
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