AFTER seeing the promise a collaborative grassroots program for weightlifting holds, Felix Tiukinhoy, who is also a board director for the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (Patafa), also wants to put up a similar program for athletics.
Tiukinhoy, the president of the Cebu Weightlifing Association, recently started a grassroots program at SMS Boystown and is also collaborating with the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) and the Cebu Province Sports Commission (CPSC) for a weightlifting program in both Cebu City and Cebu Province.
“I thought that if we can do it in weightlifting, why not do it for track and field also since we have a lot of potential athletes,” said Tiukinhoy.
Tiukinhoy, who is also the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. commissioner, admitted his position in Patafa was due to his family connection and not due to his involvement in the Cesafi. He was appointed when his sister married the son of then Patafa president Jose Sering Jr. and became a board of director during the time of former president Go Teng Kok.
Being a Patafa board director doesn’t amount to much, admitted Tiukinhoy.
“It’s only for election purposes. The directors are used for elction purposes that’s why there is always perpetuity in leadership. That’s how the system in NSAs (national sports associations) works,” said Tiukinhoy.
Tiukinhoy said the last time the Patafa called for a board meeting aside from the election was when the issue of Mary Joy Tabal cropped up prior to the Rio Olympics. Now, he is hoping something more meaningful will come out of his connection to the athletics board.
“Dili ta anang gubot. Sa ila ra na. Let’s think of Cebu,” he said.
Among the mid-term goals Tiukinhoy wants for track and field is a regular competition for Cebu athletes.
He cited the case of his visit to a mountain barangay in Compostela during another function. When officials in the school learned he was connected with the Cesafi, they proudly told him that they have students who have competed in the Palarong Pambansa.
“You can see that on their own, they have developed their own talents. How much more if we can have something collaborative with the Cebu Province?” he said.
Before that could happen, Tiukinhoy is hoping Patafa can conduct coaching seminars here in Cebu.
“We have a lot of national coaches. Why not send them to the provinces, to Cebu to upgrade the coaching knowledge here?” said Tiukinhoy.
One of the issues hounding Patafa right now is that some national team coaches are allegedly moonlighting as coaches of private schools and for Tiukinhoy, he says it’s about time Cebu also benefited from learning from what national team coaches can offer.
He also believe that if a promising athlete will be discovered in Cebu, the athlete doesn’t need to transfer to Manila.
“If we discover someone, let him stay in Cebu. Let him train here and finish his studies here. There’s no need to go to Manila,” he said. “Look at Mary Joy Tabal, she did it all on her own without Patafa’s help.”
Tiukinhoy said he is willing to facilitate a meeting with CCSC chairman Ed Hayco, CPSC secretary-general Atty. Ramil Abing and Patafa president Juico so they can start the collaboration. (ML)