EDITORIAL: Change looms in the sports landscape

The end of the 13-year reign of former Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Jose ‘Peping’ Cojuangco has come.

Cojuangco lost the presidency in a court-ordered re-elections of the POC on Friday. He has accepted the result of the elections that saw Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (Abap) president Ricky Vargas take over the top post of the national Olympic body. Amidst the animosity surrounding the controversial POC elections, Cojuangco said he respects the decision of majority of the general assembly to have Vargas as the new president of the POC in an election although he expressed his concern over the action by the court to order the elections of the independent sports body. Cojuangco lost in the POC reelection on Friday, 24-15, ending his 13-year reign as president.

With Cojuangco out of the Olympic body whose leadership was littered with reports of corruption, the Philippine sports community is optimistic of the changes in the country’s sports directions. However, it is too early to celebrate. Before any reforms will happen in Philippine sports, there must be an audit of all sports associations which received financial assistance from government.

While the head may have been nipped, there are still many existing sports associations whose leadership under the Cojuangco wing benefited from financial aid facilitated by the latter. There is a need, therefore, to purge the ranks first before any major changes can happen.

At least for now, Philippine sports can get a fresh start. Then it can move on one step at a time from the bleak past of the former regime.

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