I’VE known about the issue hounding weightlifting for a while and it’s good that Hidilyn Diaz has finally spoken up against the issue, but not the personality take note. But Monico Puentevella made it a clash of personalities, which is unfortunate because that’s the last thing the sport need. Here’s a couple of facts. Diaz is the Olympian who ended our medal drought, Puentevella is the president of an organization not recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee.
How to summarize the convuloted history of weightlifting? In 2014, the Philippine Weightlfiting Association (PWA) president left for the US, Monico Puentevella led an ouster movement against the vice-president to have himself elected, but when he went to the Securities and Exchange Commission, he was told the new officers couldn’t be registered because PWA hasn’t paid its dues in over a decade.
He decided to form a new group, the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas, went to SEC again but was told it couldn’t be registered because it’s just the PWA under a new name. He went to the POC to be recognized as the national sport association for weightlifting but was rebuffed, but he did manage to convince the International Weightlifting Association.
Without a recognized NSA, the Philippine Sports Commission can offer proper financial support to weightlifters. But as has been the case in the past, the PSC offers support directly to the athletes, bypassing the organization.
Monico makes it appear that Hidilyn has no sense of gratitude, that it was him who took her to the Olympics. That’s water under the bridge but if he wants to raise history, Hidilyn made the Olympics in 2016, the PWA was dead in 2016. And wasn’t it guys like Monico who kept Peping Cojuangco in power?
Take note, Hidilyn Diaz, and some other stakeholders I’ve talked with, don’t want Monico out. They just want legitimacy in the organization. And in order to achieve that, there must be a valid election. If Monico wins it, they’d support him and move on with the program. Because that’s what weightlifting needs. There is no program. There are no national competitions. What we have are events organized by Hidilyn and some other groups.
What made Hidilyn finally speak out? Because the impasse has made life difficult for Rowel Garcia, a national team member. Not only do they want him out for competing in the World Universiade, the requirements needed for him to compete there wasn’t relayed to him. IWF relayed the requirements to SWP, assuming that it was the rightful NSA. When he got to the competition, he wasn’t allowed to compete because he didn’t comply.
And that’s the lowest of all low blows. An organization making life difficult for an athlete who only wants to compete.
I think it’s time for the PSC and the POC to step in. It’s just two years to go before the Tokyo Olympics and not only is it Hidilyn’s last chance to win the gold, 2020 should be the time that we have the next Hidilyn Diaz—or a couple of them—in the fold.
We can’t have that with an NSA stuck in limbo. Like I said, nobody wants Monico Puentevella out, everyone just wants him to do the right thing.
Call for an election.