PHILIPPINE tennis is one big mess and for years, we’ve known that the NSA relies mainly on private groups for its programs. It doesn’t have a national tournament nor does it hold coaching clinics.
Trouble in the association began to brew when president Edwin Olivares resigned as he was elected mayor. So many things happened since then that I can’t possibly enumerate them here.
Suffice it is to say that after a leadership row, the organizers of major tennis tournaments such as the Cebuana Lhuillier and Palawan Pawnshop age group tournaments, decided to organize their own group.
In short, the new group was doing what the Philippine Tennis Association should be doing: hold tournaments, manage a national team and promote the sport. Philta, on other hand, held an election--that seems to be an NSA favorite, to hold elections--and elected Atty. Antonio Cabiltas.
Enter the International Tennis Federation, of which Philta is a member.
In a scathing letter to Philta, not only did ITF not recognize Cabiltas, it is also asking Philta what we’ve all been asking all along, “What have you done for the sport?”
ITF wants Philta to provide a detailed report covering the last two to three years on the number of tournaments it has organized, number of coaching training seminars, training camps and a list of international competitions the Philippines has joined.
It also wants a list of registered clubs and registered players. Tell me, does any one know of any tennis club that is registered with Philta?
I wonder if Philta will count the Davis Cup tournament, where a Cebuana Lhuillier-backed team participated. As for the number of tournaments, all tennis events in the country have been organized by private sponsors—Cebuana and Palawan Pawnshop and the like—I can’t think of any Philta-initiated tournament.
I wonder what kind of report will Philta submit, will it be one page long or will it be a long full of fiction?
Aside from that, the ITF also ordered Philta to change its bylaws—to make it more open rather than exclusive—before it can hold any election.
It’s game, set and match in favor of those clamoring for change in Philippine tennis.