Saturday, June 23, 2007 Pasa should have allowed 2 swimmers to compete in Arafura: GCSOC official
GREATER Cebu Sports Organizing Committee (GCSOC) executive director Allan Torrevillas yesterday said the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association (Pasa) should have allowed two swimmers to compete and claim their medals.
Loren Dale and Lorhiz Echavez, who were brought to the Arafura Games in Australia by GCSOC, were stripped off their medals because of a fallout with Pasa.
Pasa prevented the sisters from competing for allegedly not registering with them, the local sanctioning body, which is a requirement in international competitions.
“I really did not want to comment earlier because I was still upset. But I did not approve of it. Pasa should have allowed them to compete. The Arafura Games may be an international competition but it is in the grassroots level,” Torrevillas said.
Disqualified
The sisters came up with impressive finishes but after it was discovered that they were not registered with PASA ad were disqualified, their marks erased. They were allowed to swim merely as guests.
It was, however, not clear how Arafura Games swimming event officials learned that the sisters were not registered.
“They (PASA) have no idea how that affected the swimmers’ confidence,” Torrevillas said.
“Your heart will really be broken if you saw Loren Dale crying. She first won a silver and when told that she can’t have the medal, nawagtangan na hiunon ug gana. Wala na niduwa. The next event was supposedly her favorite but she did not swim anymore,” Torrevillas said.
PASA head Mark Joseph told Sun.Star Cebu in earlier interviews that they want athletes to be responsible individuals.
“They know that is the rule (to register) so they have to abide by it. We want to embed in them the value of responsibility,” he said in an earlier interview.
Despite the issue, Torrevillas said that they did not regret bringing the girls to the meet.
“Wa gyud hinuon mi nagmahay nga amo sila gidala. You should see Loren Dale.
At first, you think she is losing but then towards the end, she is like a cartoon character on fast forward mode. She is fast,” Torrevillas said.
Torrevillas said that they are taking the issue in stride and instead of sulking in grief and disappointment, they will move on and take the lesson learned from it.
“There is a lesson learned in all these. Next time, we will complete all necessary requirement with all agencies to prevent it.
Basin naa na sad unyay masilo. Maayo nang wa silay masulti against nato (Others might get envious. We’ll make sure they’ll have nothing to complain against),” Torrevillas said when addressing the team during their courtesy call on their patron Jonathan Guardo last Monday. (MCB)
