Wednesday, January 10, 2007 Yayoy raps Guardo By Marian C. Baring Sun.Star Correspondent
“WHY shoud we react because of him?”
CEBU City Sports Commission (CCSC) vice chairman Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba lashed back at Greater Cebu Sports Organizing Committee (GCSOC) founder Jonathan Guardo for saying the CCSC only formed a delegation for the 2007 Arafura Games just to outdo him.
“We acted on this Arafura thing because there was an invitation from the Philippine Sports Commission. Not because of him. We don’t even talk about him during our meetings,” said Alcoseba, who is also a city councilor.
Guardo earlier said the CCSC’s move in forming a team is only a “reactionary thing,” since CCSC decided to form a team after Guardo announced his plan to send a delegation to the Arafura Games, a multi-nation and multi-event meet. The biennial meet is slated this May in Darwin, Australia.
Alcoseba also answered Guardo for saying the CCSC does not have a long-term sports program. Alcoseba said they are focusing on barangay development and that the much-hyped Arafura Games is not something that the city cares a lot about.
“Arafura Games is not that important to the city. Our thrust right now is to give the CCSC budget to the constituents,” he added. “We are not very keen in sending a team to international events. It may give exposure to the athletes but we limit it because it is too expensive,” he added.
Budget
Alcoseba also hit back against Guardo’s sports projects.
“I hope this foundation thing of his will have a budget after the elections. Maybe after the elections, he won’t have a budget for it anymore,” Alcoseba said.
Guardo, who is running in the next elections, denied he is using this as a campaign. Earlier this year, he announced that he set aside P5 million for the GCSOC, which he founded late last year.
“The Arafura project is never about politics. I just want to help. Joining international events has been my pet project ever since. What about him, has he ever thought about Arafura before I came in? His heart has never been for the athletes,” Guardo said.
Meanwhile, in another development Alcoseba negated Councilor Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem’s promise that the city will spend for the airfare of the gold winners in the last Arafura.
“We will help them get sponsors only. The city will not spend a single centavo for this trip. We will only shoulder their uniforms. The best we could do is to help them get sponsors,” said Alcoseba.
Jakosalem earlier lobbied to the CCSC to give give gold medal winners a chance to fly to the meet for free.
In the last Arafura Games, the Cebuanos bagged two golds, one courtesy of celebrated swimmer Lorhiz Echavez of the University of San Carlos.
Confused
Meanwhile, the recent developments have left the parents of Echavez confused
The events that had unfolded left Echavez parents in confusion as to which group they will be going with.
“It would have been good if the airfare would really be for free. We just want it to be cleared because we will represent Cebu,” said Romulo Echavez, whose other daughters Loren Dale and Lorraine are short-listed as possible entries to the meet.
He said that if Lorhiz’ fare would be shouldered by the city, he would have less financial burden as he has to spend for his other daughters.
Echavez said they will have to hear what Guardo’s camp has to offer and decide where they will go with them.
GCSOC will meet again on Jan. 17 for the finalization of the entries.
