WHAT AILS PHILIPPINE SPORTS ?

Below are the gold medal tallies of the Philippines in the last four stagings of the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games and Olympics :

Southeast Asian Games
2009 - 38 golds
2011 - 36
2013 - 29
1025 - 29

Asian Games :
2002 - 3 golds
2006 - 4
2010 - 3
2014 - 1

Olympics :
2000 - 0 golds
2004 - 0
2008 - 0
2012 - 0

Clearly, the figures show that the country has deteriorated in sports performance through the years.

Filipino sports officials conveniently blame the lack of government support for the deterioration of the country's performance in sports. Philippine Olympic Committee President Jose Cojuangco Jr., in a CNN interview, blamed the government's lack of financial support for the dismal showing of the Philippines in the last SEA Games. But there are several countries that do not give financial support to athletes. The US is one prime example of a country that does not give government financial assistance to its athletes. US athletes and national federations rely solely on private sponsorship. Yet despite the total absence of government support, US athletes continue to dominate just about every major international sporting event.

And this is where the problem lies for Philippine sports. Filipino sports officials lack the vision, capability and credibility to tap the private sector to do its share in sports development. With the likes of Peping Cojuangco and his cohorts running the show for Philippine sports, what reputable sponsor will want to come in and work with them ? Volleyball was lucky enough to corner a 250M peso sponsorship from PLDT Home Ultera and SM Group of Companies. But hand it to Cojuangco and his men to mess things up. Now, volleyball does not receive anything.

Filipino sports fans are to blame for the country's poor performance in sports as well. Fans, and the general public for that matter, refuse to demand excellence from Filipino athletes and officials. The common Filipino fan is happy just to see his or her idol play. Mere participation is highly regarded with complete disregard for a podium finish.

I also believe that the Filipino culture is not right for sports. Filipinos do not have the patience to persevere and put in long hours of practice that last a lifetime. We love shortcuts and the easiest way out. We are impatient as a people.

We also do not value teamwork as much as other nations. Thus, we hardly do well in team sports. Except for dragon boat, the country has yet to produce a world champion in team sports.

Lastly, we generally regard sports as something petty and insignificant. We see sports more as a form of entertainment. Thus, we remain the joke in the world of sports. We do not see sports as something that can unify and bring pride.

Unless Filipinos change their thinking about sports, Philippine sports will remain in the pits forever.

PVF AND PDBF : TALE OF TWO FORMER NATIONAL FEDERATIONS

courtesy of en.wikipedia.org

 courtesy of twitter.com

Philippine Volleyball Federation (PVF) and Philippine Dragon Boat Federation (PDBF) are two federations that are not recognized now by Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). Both federations are now non-entities as far as POC and PSC are concerned.

It is interesting to note that recognition for PVF and PDBF were withdrawn at a time when both federations were performing extremely well. The teams of PDBF just won 5 gold medals at the IDBF World Championships in Tampa, Florida when POC officials went to IOC to work on the dismantling of PDBF. PDBF teams established world records and was crowned the fastest dragon boat team in the world when POC President Jose Cojuangco went to IOC and asked how PDBF can be dissolved.

PVF, on the other hand, scored a miracle of sorts when it was able to gather the best and most popular volleyball players in the country to form the national teams. PVF too was able to secure in 2014 the biggest private sponsorship to Philippine volleyball. It was shortly thereafter that POC President Peping Cojuangco and POC 1st Vice-President Joey Romasanta went to Thailand to destroy PVF.

There are several commonalities from the series of events involving the disenfranchisement of PVF and PDBF. These are :

1. POC officials made a conscious effort to go to international sports bodies to destroy the two federations. Top POC officials physically went abroad to act on their sinister plans.

2. Both federations have consistently voted against Peping Cojuangco for POC president.

3. The disenfranchisement of both federations occurred merely months away from POC elections.

It is easy to see that the disenfranchisement of PVF and PDBF is all about the preservation of Cojuangco's tenure as POC president. It is really that plain and simple.

End of discussion.

LVPI : A YEAR AFTER

courtesy of em.wikipedia.org

After a year of existence, what has Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas (LVPI) accomplished ?

Absolutely nothing.

Aside from getting LVPI President Joey Romasanta elected to the Asian Volleyball Confederation Board, LVPI has no accomplishment to speak of. The different national teams that it has sent to international competitions were a disgrace to the country. LVPI's teams lost even to collegiate teams by huge margins to highlight how ill-prepared the teams were. National teams were assembled in airports through phone calls at the last minute to show how irresponsible the officials of LVPI are.

LVPI must be held accountable for the new lows in Philippine volleyball as well. For the first time since the country participated in the Southeast Asian Games in 1977, the Philippine women's volleyball team did not win a medal under LVPI. Under LVPI too, the national teams for volleyball were not considered national teams by Philippine Sports Commission. Hence government support were totally denied to the "national players".

Some of the people behind LVPI were involved in highly questionable acts as well. LVPI Secretary General Ricky Palou was accused of signing an official document as president. Tats Suzara, the man known to be the one responsible for the FIVB recognition of LVPI was proven to have violated immigration laws with his Philippine Superliga (PSL). He was fined Php 600,000.00 as a result..

What LVPI has managed to do is to protect the tournaments of its stakeholders. Simply put, LVPI has merely protected the interests of its stakeholders. Shame on LVPI and its officers for merely taking care of their income-generating businesses.

Does LVPI deserve to be the national federation for volleyball ?

I don't think so.

OPEN LETTER TO FIVB AND AVC OFFICIAL SHANRIT WONGPRASERT

courtesy of sports.inquirer.net

Dear Mr. Shanrit Wongprasert,

Greetings from the Philippines.

I am extremely disappointed that you allow yourself to be used to validate the very existence of Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc. (LVPI). You were quoted by Philippine media saying that Philippine volleyball has progressed through LVPI. With all due respect, just what progress are you referring to ? Do you call the formation of national teams through phone calls at the airport "progress" ?

You have built a good reputation through the years with what you did and continue to do with volleyball in Thailand. From being perennial losers to the Philippines in SEAG, you have managed to put Thailand at 13th best in the world. So I am really surprised that you seem not to know the meaning of the word "progress" when applied to Philippine volleyball.

Please protect your good name by distancing yourself from LVPI and its people. You know very well that FIVB itself is being put in a spot with the acceptance of LVPI as a member. You know very well that you are having a hard time answering the letter I sent you last Dec. 3, 2015. So hard a time, in fact, that you deem it best not to send a response.

Filipino sports officials are the worst in the world. Even your good friend, FIVB Development Commission officer Tats Suzara was ordered by the Bureau of Immigrations (BID) to pay more than half a million pesos for violating immigration laws with his Philippine Superliga.

Please do not allow these unscrupulous sports officials to tarnish your good name and bring you to perdition.

Thank you.

Eric

THE CONNIVANCE BETWEEN FIVB AND LVPI REVEALED

Dear readers,

I wish to present to you solid proof that there was a horrendous connivance between FIVB and the new Philippine volleyball federation, Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc. (LVPI).

FIVB imposed a requirement for LVPI before it can be granted full recognition. That is, LVPI must first pay to FIVB the sum of eighty - thousand dollars. See http://www.philstar.com/sports/2015/03/25/1437454/volleyball-row-over-lvpi-set-be-recognized-fivb

The deadline for LVPI to settle the payment was set on April 30, 2015. 

LVPI presented to AVC and FIVB the Bank Transfer below as proof of payment of LVPI. The said bank transfer was also presented to media in the Philippines. The bank transfer is shown below.

But an email of FIVB 2nd Executive Vice-President Andre Meyer says that LVPI did not pay on April 30, 2015.

André Meyer <ameyer@cev.lu>
to me

Dear Eric,

I checked to-day with the finance department, the amount of USD 80 000 had not yet been registered in any account.

Best rgards

Instead, LVPI paid on May 14, 2015, as confirmed by Meyer as well.

André Meyer <ameyer@cev.lu>	May 15
to me

Dear Eric

Yes I can confirm your membership. The money had arrived yesterday on the FIVB bank account.

I wish you all the best in the future. Hope to see you soon.

Best regards

André

What reeks of connivance between FIVB and LVPI is the letter from FIVB signed by Graca saying that LVPI has been accepted as a member on May 11, 2015. We have to take note that the May 12 indicated on the letter is actually May 11 Manila time.

So why was LVPI accepted as a member when it has yet to fulfill the requirement set by FIVB ? Why was FIVB too eager to accept LVPI as a new member when the payment of the eighty - thousand dollars has not been made to FIVB at the time of LVPI's membership ?

 If that is not highly irregular and a form of connivance, I don't know what is.

LVPI, ITS HORDE OF SPORTS WRITERS AND THE TRUTH

courtesy of en.wikipedia.org

"You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. - Matthew 5:13

I am sure that people from LVPI know by now what I did. But interestingly enough, no one from their horde of sports writers dare to write about it. Unlike before when just about every move I make much is written. Now there is deafening silence among the servile writers of LVPI. 

The problem with LVPI officials and their writers is that they think that they can suppress the truth and get away with it. They think that they can contain the truth and sell their lies to the Filipino people. But in this day and age, the world has become smaller with the advent of the computer and internet. Information can be verified and immediately passed on from one country to another. And once true information finds its way to people, action can take place. And once people act accordingly, the suppressors of truth will be unmasked, judged and made to face the consequences.

In the end, it is still best to tell the truth. No one can go wrong with the truth. And more importantly, it is best to reveal, protect and use the truth to ensure that good triumphs over evil.

WHY PVF SUPPORTERS WILL NOT BE DEFEATED

courtesy of en.wikipedia.org

It was a year ago when Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) decided to dip its fingers in the affairs of Philippine Volleyball Federation (PVF). It was a year ago when POC Vice-President Joey Romasanta fed lies to Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) and managed to bring down PVF. With the help of FIVB man Tats Suzara, Romasanta installed Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc. (LVPI) as the new volleyball federation with himself naturally as president.

Admittedly, support for PVF has decreased through time. The long wait for some form of good news on the case certainly frustrated a lot of PVF supporters.

But a lot more PVF supporters and yours truly remain firm with our support for the following reasons :

1. We have truth on our side. PVF has not resorted to peddling lies to achieve any of its goals.

2. There is integrity in supporting PVF. Our support shows our love for justice, fair play and the truth. We support PVF because of these lofty ideals.

3. We can face anyone at anytime and proudly proclaim our support. There is nothing to be ashamed of in supporting an aggrieved national federation.

4. The people behind PVF are credible and noble. These people have done so much for Philippine volleyball and are not in it for the money. The officers of PVF have not been involved in graft and corruption cases unlike the people behind LVPI.

5. International sports organizations will definitely side with PVF once the truth is revealed to them. There is simply no valid reason for the very existence of LVPI.

Thus, we remain resolute with our support for PVF. We remain committed to uphold justice, fair play and true welfare of Philippine volleyball.

We shall overcome !