ATHLETICS chief Philip Ella Juico yesterday said the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association’s decision to recommend Fil-Am sprinter Kristina Knott over pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena for the International Olympic Committee’s Solidarity scholarship fund was the sole prerogative of the association.
“Patafa will send our official letter to the POC on why we chose Kristina for the Olympic solidarity,” Juico said. “Choosing the Olympic scholar is the sole prerogative of the NSA (National Sports Association).”
Juico added that he had conveyed this sentiment to Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino during the recent POC general assembly meeting, adding: “We did not refuse to sign the nomination of Obiena.
“To begin with, the nomination is initiated by the NSA, not the POC,” Juico said.
Tolentino had earlier announced the IOC had awarded the POC an IOC Scholarship fund of $7,500 (roughly P377,602), to be divided by $900 (P45,298) each to eight promising athletes on a monthly basis until they qualify for the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.
As nominated by their respective NSAs, Tolentino said among those who would receive the stipends are weightlifter Elreeen Ann Ando, boxers Rogen Ladon and Aira Villegas, fencer Samantha Catantan, skateboarder Jericho Francisco, cyclist Patrick Coo and wrestler Allen Arcilla.
Juico said Knott’s selection for the IOC Solidarity Olympic scholarship had nothing to do with the Patafa Administrative Committee’s investigation of Obiena over the alleged unpaid or delayed salaries of his Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov since 2018.
Petrov’s wages came directly from the Philippine Sports Commission that was coursed through Obiena.
The endorsement of Knott for the IOC Solidarity scholarship and the investigation of Obiena are two separate issues altogether, according to Juico.
Juico made the clarification after Tolentino wrote Obiena, a copy of which was obtained by Malaya-Business Insight, last Oct. 18 to explain why the pole vaulter, who holds the Asian record of 5.93 meters, was not among the IOC Olympic scholars from the Philippines.
“With regard to your Olympic Solidarity Scholarship application, we regret to inform you that we have been forced to replace your application with another candidate,” Tolentino wrote.
“Unfortunately, the President of Patafa, Mr. Popoy Juico, refused to sign your application due to a number of reasons but to highlight his endorsement for another athlete,” he said.
“He (Juico) also believes that you have enough funding for training compared to the rest of the athletes under Patafa and without the approval of your NSA, we cannot move forward with your Olympic Solidarity application. Our NOC has to meet a deadline when it comes to the submission of OS Paris 2024 Scholarship Candidates,” Tolentino told Obiena.
