In & Out - Right to Vote
Bleacher Talk
April 13, 2008
In & Out - Right to Vote
Am I in or out?
This is the million dollar question that is asked when one applies for a job. This is also asked when one applies to be accepted as a member of an organization. All this might sound so simple and straightforward, but the irony of it all is that it can get really complicated. If and when one is considered “in,” the next question is if he/she has a voice in the organization.
The sports world is no exception to this phenomenon, and has in fact been troubled with so much controversy in this “membership” and “voting rights” debate. The trouble lies in the question of who or what organizations should be recognized as legit members of a particular national sports association (NSA). If an NSA is to chart the development of a sport in the country, logic implies that only genuine organizations deserve to be part of the association. A basketball NSA must be run by basketball people. A badminton NSA must also be managed by badminton people. Right? Well almost, but quite.
Due to Pinoy style politics and intramurals that get in the way of the noblest of goals of developing or managing the affairs of a sport, our NSA’s seem to have managers and members who aren’t exactly too excited about developing their sport. The loose talk behind the scenes is that these people are there to “develop” themselves more than anything else.
Basketball is an excellent case study in this matter where the country has experienced one of the worst times of the sport. In the past, it seemed that the NSA of the country’s # 1 sport was managed by non-basketball people. To cut a long story short, the real basketball family had finally seen enough and fought hard for a total overhaul of basketball’s NSA.
With the establishment of the BAP-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP), there was hope (finally). But that was just a start. The next task on hand was to decide which of 96 basketball organizations deserved to be recognized as bonafide basketball people. After all, it’s only logical that legitimate basketball organizations be given the right to speak out for their sport.
The BAP-SBP website’s story reports that “After careful review, the Board of Trustees of BAP-SBP approved the recommendation of the Nominations and Elections Committee (NOMELCOM), headed by Chairman Eliezer Capacio, to grant active and voting membership status to fifteen (15) basketball organizations nationwide.” Of the 15, only one from Cebu was recognized: CESAFI.
The BAP-SBP website says further that “Active members must be sports associations that actively conduct regular basketball tournaments for at least two (2) consecutive, uninterrupted years and in each of which years, the duration of the tournament is at least three months with at least six ball clubs or teams participating per tournament. Active members have voting rights.”
I’m sure that more controversy will arise in the cases of those who weren’t recognized as active members and will have to accept their “associate member” status that doesn’t bring in voting rights. But that’s another story altogether that can bring out a host of debates (politics at its best again).
But what amazes me is that a total of 96 organizations nationwide were seeking recognition as active members so they’ll have voting rights at the upcoming national congress on May 31. They all want to be part of managing the sport, but are they genuine organizations who qualify under the criteria set by the Board? In an attempt to gain voting control by the numbers, it now seems that there are parties who come up with alphabet-laced organizations for the sake of getting a bigger voice (votes) in the national assembly. I’d rather not go into details of all these real and pseudo organizations, but you can check out the BAP-SBP website and see for yourself which organizations deserve to be given a voice in the BAP-SBP, and which ones have no business claiming to be somebody in the sport. The other more amazing thing is how some people go out of their way to claim that they deserve to be heard and to be leading the NSA even if they’re connection with the sport is suspect.
In the end, we all have to realize that the people or parties with genuine love and concern for the game must be given the task to manage the sport. Those who know that they have no business in the sport should simply go away.
It’s really that simple. You’re in or you’re out.
--
Time-out: The Best Center basketball clinic sponsored by Milo will be held from May 5-10 at the Sacred Heart School-Jesuit gym along Mango Ave. For more details, you can call telephone #’s 516-9036, 0918-939-4846, 0923-342-8913, or email to bleachertalk@yahoo.com.
April 13, 2008
In & Out - Right to Vote
Am I in or out?
This is the million dollar question that is asked when one applies for a job. This is also asked when one applies to be accepted as a member of an organization. All this might sound so simple and straightforward, but the irony of it all is that it can get really complicated. If and when one is considered “in,” the next question is if he/she has a voice in the organization.
The sports world is no exception to this phenomenon, and has in fact been troubled with so much controversy in this “membership” and “voting rights” debate. The trouble lies in the question of who or what organizations should be recognized as legit members of a particular national sports association (NSA). If an NSA is to chart the development of a sport in the country, logic implies that only genuine organizations deserve to be part of the association. A basketball NSA must be run by basketball people. A badminton NSA must also be managed by badminton people. Right? Well almost, but quite.
Due to Pinoy style politics and intramurals that get in the way of the noblest of goals of developing or managing the affairs of a sport, our NSA’s seem to have managers and members who aren’t exactly too excited about developing their sport. The loose talk behind the scenes is that these people are there to “develop” themselves more than anything else.
Basketball is an excellent case study in this matter where the country has experienced one of the worst times of the sport. In the past, it seemed that the NSA of the country’s # 1 sport was managed by non-basketball people. To cut a long story short, the real basketball family had finally seen enough and fought hard for a total overhaul of basketball’s NSA.
With the establishment of the BAP-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP), there was hope (finally). But that was just a start. The next task on hand was to decide which of 96 basketball organizations deserved to be recognized as bonafide basketball people. After all, it’s only logical that legitimate basketball organizations be given the right to speak out for their sport.
The BAP-SBP website’s story reports that “After careful review, the Board of Trustees of BAP-SBP approved the recommendation of the Nominations and Elections Committee (NOMELCOM), headed by Chairman Eliezer Capacio, to grant active and voting membership status to fifteen (15) basketball organizations nationwide.” Of the 15, only one from Cebu was recognized: CESAFI.
The BAP-SBP website says further that “Active members must be sports associations that actively conduct regular basketball tournaments for at least two (2) consecutive, uninterrupted years and in each of which years, the duration of the tournament is at least three months with at least six ball clubs or teams participating per tournament. Active members have voting rights.”
I’m sure that more controversy will arise in the cases of those who weren’t recognized as active members and will have to accept their “associate member” status that doesn’t bring in voting rights. But that’s another story altogether that can bring out a host of debates (politics at its best again).
But what amazes me is that a total of 96 organizations nationwide were seeking recognition as active members so they’ll have voting rights at the upcoming national congress on May 31. They all want to be part of managing the sport, but are they genuine organizations who qualify under the criteria set by the Board? In an attempt to gain voting control by the numbers, it now seems that there are parties who come up with alphabet-laced organizations for the sake of getting a bigger voice (votes) in the national assembly. I’d rather not go into details of all these real and pseudo organizations, but you can check out the BAP-SBP website and see for yourself which organizations deserve to be given a voice in the BAP-SBP, and which ones have no business claiming to be somebody in the sport. The other more amazing thing is how some people go out of their way to claim that they deserve to be heard and to be leading the NSA even if they’re connection with the sport is suspect.
In the end, we all have to realize that the people or parties with genuine love and concern for the game must be given the task to manage the sport. Those who know that they have no business in the sport should simply go away.
It’s really that simple. You’re in or you’re out.
--
Time-out: The Best Center basketball clinic sponsored by Milo will be held from May 5-10 at the Sacred Heart School-Jesuit gym along Mango Ave. For more details, you can call telephone #’s 516-9036, 0918-939-4846, 0923-342-8913, or email to bleachertalk@yahoo.com.
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