FILE PHOTO
The Philippine Olympic Committee Athletes Commission has infused a couple of fresh faces, bringing over Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Nesthy Petecio and pole vault ace EJ Obiena within its ranks.
But the newly minted board members, including two-time Olympian Jessie Khing Lacuna of swimming and Jack Danielle Animam of women’s basketball, will be facing their fiercest trial yet outside of competition as leaders of the country’s national athletes with a World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) ban looming.
Their election came four days after the (Wada) threatened the Philippines of an impending ban where Filipino athletes won’t be able to carry the national flag in the forthcoming Paris Olympics and Paralympic Games.
“I hope we can settle the problem immediately,’’ said weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, the first Filipino gold medalist in the Olympics who attended Saturday’s Athletes Commission elections at Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila.
The Wada notified the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) of the threat in a letter on Jan. 23, stressing the country’s non-compliance of the Wada Code. It prompted the government sports agency to address outstanding nonconformities identified in the Wada Code Compliance Questionnaire.
Noncompliance with the Montreal-based global doping agency will likewise prohibit the Philippines from hosting any regional, continental and world championship meets.
“We acknowledge the importance of adhering to the Wada Code and upholding the principles of fair play and integrity in sports,’’ the PSC statement said.
“In response to the aforementioned allegations, we would like to clarify that the Philippine National Anti-Doping Organization (Phinado), under the auspices of the PSC, has taken prompt action and decisive actions to rectify any potential matters related to noncompliance with the Wada Code,’’ the statement added.
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