ISA sa pinaka-ideal na paraan upang panatilihing buhay ang makasaysayang tagumpay ng Filipino athletes hindi lamang sa huling dalawang Summer Olympics ay sa pamamagitan ng isang sports museum sa loob ng stand-alone Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) headquarters.
“We’ve participated in the Olympics for a century, but up to now, the POC still needs to have its own home,” pahayag ni POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino sa The Agenda media forum kung saan host si Siegfred Mison sa Club Filipino sa San Juan nitong Biyernes.
“My vision about the House of POC includes a museum where the memorabilia of our great athletes, including those of Caloy [Carlos Yulo] and Hidilyn [Diaz-Naranjo], could be viewed by Filipinos,” aniya.
Sinimulan ni Tolentino na itulak ang ‘House of POC’ makaraang masikwat ni weightlifter Diaz-Naranjo ang unang Olympic gold medal ng bansa sa Tokyo 2020 (2021) kung saan nagwagi rin sina boxers Nesthy Petecio at Carlo Paalam ng silvers at Eumir Felix Marcia ng bronze.
Hiningi niya noon ang tulong ng Malacañang para sa proyekto na inirekomenda niya na itayo sa loob ng Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Complex, subalit ang kanyang kahilingan ay na-shelve.
“It would be ideal for the House of POC to be close to the airport for accessibility of foreign sports dignitaries who will come for official functions or for a visit,” aniya.
Sinabi ni Tolentino na naiparating na niya kay Presidente Ferdinand R. Marcos ang kanyang kahilingan sa welcome dinner para sa Filipino Olympians mula sa Paris, sa pangunguna ni double gold medalist gymnast Carlos Yulo noong Martes ng gabi sa Malacañang.
“The President was receptive to the proposal and I’m hopeful our vision would be realized this time,” aniya.
Ang POC, sa loob ng mahabang panahon magmula nang magsimulang lumahok ang bansa sa Olympics noong 1924 sa Paris, ay walang sariling permanenteng opisina o headquarters.
“Call it pathetic but after a hundred years in the Olympics, we still don’t have a house of our own,” ayon kay Tolentino.
“Timor Leste, the smallest among Southeast Asian countries, in fact, has a national Olympic committee headquarters complete with all amenities … the works.”
Ang amenities na tinutukoy ni Tolentino ay ang museum, multi-purpose hall, office rooms, gym at maging laboratoryo.
Ang POC ay may maliit na opisina sa Rizal Memorial Sports Complex sa loob ng ilang dekada bago lumipat sa PhilSports Complex (dating Ultra) na pinatatakbo ng Department of Education.
“Many don’t even know that there’s a POC office at the DepEd complex in Pasig,” ani Tolentino.
CLYDE MARIANO