NEWS ITEM: “PHILIPPINE SPORTS COMMISSION chairman Richard Bachmann sees the need to upgrade and even build new facilities at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex to improve the training conditions of Pinoy bets.
“In line with this, Bachmann and his board have asked the Congress for a P3.7 billion funding.”
What? P3.7 B? I almost fell off my chair.
Bachmann is a neophyte sports official who is not familiar with elite and grassroots programs. I wonder why he was named PSC chief.
I know that he was a former PBA player and the son of the late Olympian Kurt Bachmann whom i lionized for his hookshots during his heydays in the MICAA. (As for Dickie, I covered his playing years when he was an active PBA pro.)
Does he not know that there are no big ticket hostings of international events (like SEAG and various Asian Championships) that are lined up until the country gets its turn anew to stage the SEA Games.
Where and how did he find the “NEED” to upgrade and build new facil;ities when there are existing brand new stadia in New Clark City built at a cost of so many billions.
Today, these sports infra in Clark have turned into white elephants.
Bachmann’s idea of “fixing” the RMSC facilities were exactly the same reasons his predecessors used but decades after the “fixing”, RMSC looks decrepit as ever.
Wow, P3.7B?
Does the good PSC chief know that there was a time when attempts to sell the area to a private entity became a hot item.
The advocates were sayiong Pinoy athe;etes deserve a better environment, betterr facilities and the Clark area was mentioned as a strong possible site to build a new Olympic training stadia that could replace the old Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
Bachmann explained that he will fix the baseball field, the bowling area to an 8-storey building, the boxing gym and pencak silat.
May I inform the good PSC chair that the baseball field has been undergoing repairs and rehab since the first year the PSC came into being in 1990.
At that time, the country was to host the 1991 SEAG in Manila (where I am proud to say was the official basketball sportscaster).
After that, the next PSC chair and after him his successors, always saw fit to fix the baseball stadium.
Which meant that every time a new PSC head is appointed, the baseball field was always fixed, repaired and rehabilitated.
But look at the baseball field today. Nothing has changed.
The baseball diamond is only used during baseball and softball tournaments in the UAAP. You can count by the fingers the people who watch the games.
In 2019 when we hosted anew the SEAG, ALL sports venues were fixed. Some new ones were also constructed.
Do you recall the P50M cauldron that became a contentious issue with some media reports doubting how such a simple structure would cost the government P50M to construct?
Mr. Bachmann is visibly out of touch with the directions Philippine sports should be taking.
More than fixing the “dilapidated” conditions of the various RMSC facilities, does Mr. bachmann know that the athletes much more deserve to stay and sleep in better quarters than where they are now situated?
If Mr, Bachmann continues to display an overall lack of understanding of the goings on, it is easy to understand why he will never quite see eye to eye with the guys at the Philippine Olympic Committee. (Email feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com). GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!
