Angara to conduct hearing on state of Philippine sports

Sen. Sonny Angara (Facebook photo)

MANILA — Senator Edgardo Angara has set Senate hearing on Tuesday regarding the condition of the Philippines sports, including its preparation for the forthcoming 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

”We will conduct the Senate hearing and will tackle our preparation and some issues in the Philippines sports,” Angara said in a media interview on Monday.

Angara said his committee on games, amusements and sports will specifically tackle the privilege speech of Senator Pia Cayetano last week where she hit the politics in sports that resulted to the creation of two women basketball teams preparing for the SEA Games in June this year.

”That also will be tackled and other issues,” Angara said.

Acting Senate minority leader Vicente Sotto III has said the sports leaders should explain the sad state of the Philippines sports.

Angara said Philippines Olympic Committee (POC) president Peping Cojuangco has been invited but doubt whether the former Tarlac congressman would appear to the Senate.

”He was always invited here in the Senate but refused to come. I think there are some senators who really wanted him to come,” Angara said.

Under Cojuangco’s leadership, the Philippines suffered its worst finish in the SEA Games in 2013 in Myanmar where the country’s finished seventh out of 11 participating countries.

The Philippines collected only 23 gold, 24 silver and 38 bronze medals.

The country also absorbed its worst finish in the 2014 Asian Games in Inchon, South Korea, ending up in 22nd place with only one gold, two silver and 12 bronze medals.

The Philippines has yet to win a gold medal in the Olympic Games since it joined the most prestigious sports event in 1928.

The country’s highest accomplishments in the Olympic Games are two silver medals courtesy of boxers Antonio Villanueva in 1924 Tokyo Games and another boxer Mansueto ‘Onyok’ Velasco in 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Ricardo Garcia and some national sports associations (NSAs) officials are expected to attend the 1 p.m. hearing.