Mendoza: Can Juico still sleep tight?

Mendoza: Can Juico still sleep tight?

Sen. Bong Go is angry. He has asked Patafa (Philippine Athletic’ Track and Field Association) president Philip Ella Juico why Juico and his board should not be cited for contempt.

“Why did you do that?” asked Go, the chair of the Senate Committee on Sports.

Go was referring to Patafa’s action of bringing Juico’s rift with EJ Obiena, the federation’s marquee pole vaulter, to the CAS (Court of Arbitration in Sports).

Juico has accused Obiena of money mismanagement regarding the salary payment of Vitaly Petrov, Obiena’s Ukrainian coach.

This, despite Petrov’s affidavit absolving Obiena of any wrongdoing.

Obiena had admitted to having paid Petrov late, to which Obiena explained: “Is late payment a crime?”

But Juico wouldn’t budge. He even went on to block Obiena’s participation in the World Indoors in Serbia this month. Next, he removed Obiena from the list of Patafa athletes competing in the Hanoi SEA Games set in May.

The Serbia thing is a high-category event, coming on the heels of two tournaments that Obiena had won in Poland. After that, Obiena won the silver in another outing in France.

Why Juico would do such a horrible act against his own top athlete boggled the mind deeply as it bordered on the insane.

With Obiena’s stellar performances prior to the Serbia tournament, his participation there would have been the natural path for the 26-year-old Filipino star. But no. Juico threw away national interests in favor of his personal whims and caprices.

That’s why when OIympic chief Bambol Tolentino suspended Patafa for 90 days, it was not only to punish Juico for his indiscretion and anti-sports idiocy but it sent a message that the country’s Olympic movement will not tolerate stupidity.

Why derail at all an athlete’s dream to give his country pride and honor on the international stage?

As I keep saying here, athletes win medals, not officials.

The official’s main job is to guide his athletes, to never give them headaches, to never interfere in their desire to accomplish more for flag and country.

Can Juico still sleep tight these days?

The Philippine Olympic Committee is against him.

Go’s Senate Sports Committee is against him.

The entire nation is against him.

Will he wait for Pres. Duterte to smack him?

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