Despite what some quarters say, Philippine Tennis Association president Atty. Antonio Cablitas is optimistic he can resolve the issues hounding PHILTA, including its suspension by the International Tennis Federation, in the best interest of the sport and its athletes in the country.
“I can assure the Philippine tennis community that I can solve these problems. In fact, I have been trying to solve them even before the (COVID-19) pandemic,” said Cablitas, Tuesday in his maiden appearance at the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) online forum.
Joining Cablitas in the session backed by San Miguel Corp. Go for Gold, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) was PHILTA vice president Martin Misa, who bared the association’s plans and programs for next year.
“Governance and representation, I can solve these problems. More than anybody else, I am concerned about that,” said the PHILTA chief, referring to the world tennis body’s decision to suspend the local association for two years over these two issues.
He said he did not like the way a rival group, led by some former PHILTA officials, had worked in a “clandestine manner that led to our suspension by the ITF so much so that we became isolated. The decision to suspend is flawed, but it is there.”
Although he declined to name names, it is on record that former PHILTA head Lito Villanueva his late son, Randy Villanueva, and businessman-sportsman Jean Henri Lhuillier, all PHILTA board members, had questioned Cablitas’ election in 2017.
The Villanuevas and Lhuillier were among those who formed a rival group, the United Tennis Philippines, which was accredited with the Philippine Sports Commission, even as PHILTA came under fire from the PSC shortly after his election, according to Cablitas.
“We are willing to co-exist with others as long as they do not destroy PHILTA. This is where we draw the line,” Cablitas said in the session powered by Smart and with Upstream Media as webcast partner.
On the organizational level, both PHILTA officials disclosed that the association now has 12 “active” regional directors all over the country and intends to increase them to 15 to oversee the growth of lawn tennis in the countryside.
Misa, a former national coach, said that contrary to the perception of some, “PHILTA has been very busy, but we were not announcing it. We had about 70 tournaments annually before the (COVID-19) pandemic struck.
“Maybe I should be active on social media to promote them.”
He advised the country’s tennis players “to stay out of the PHILTA politics. Just stick to what you’re doing and train hard for next year.”
Besides organizing tournaments, Misa said that the association was also active in organizing workshops for coaches and technical officials in the countryside. He added that it was set to sign an agreement with the Department of Education for physical education teachers to undergo workshops to teach tennis the right way to their students.
He was likewise grateful that PHILTA remained recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee under reelected POC president Bambol Tolentino, and which could help the local tennis body have its suspension lifted by the ITF.
Unknown to all, the tennis honcho disclosed that his ties to the local tennis body go way back in the eighties, to the time that the late Col. Marcelino Barba was still PHILTA president. He asserted that he has been a longtime patron of the sport.
“We were responsible for having Mitsubishi Lancer International Junior Tennis Championships and supported a lot of tennis players like Manny Tolentino, Rod Rafael, Ringo Navarosa and Camoy Palahang even before they were around,” Cablitas pointed out.
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