A week after the Asap (Aquatics Sports Association of
the Philippines) asked POC president Peping Cojuangco to
censure swimming president Mark Joseph after he told
Malaysian Sports officials that fake passports “can be
easily acquired in the Philippines,” parents of swimmers
who felt alluded to followed this up by filing criminal
and civil charges against the NSA president.
In an
effort to stop Asap swimmers from joining the 2010 Sabah
Age Group Meet because they did not seek Pasa clearance,
Joseph wrote the swimming association of Malaysia,
saying: “We can not warrant that the identification and
ages of the swimmers are truthful.”
Joseph succeeded in his smear campaign in Malaysia.
The organizers, intimidated by Joseph’s threats of
reporting them to the world governing body of swimming,
yielded to avoid controversy.
To help the Asap swimmers whose parents had paid for
the trip, the organizers urged them to register under
North Borneo instead of the Philippines. While the
younger swimmers agreed, the older ones who were
severely humiliated, refused to swim for any other
country.
The parents of these swimmers, headed by an assistant
sports editor, comprise the core of the group that has
filed a class suit against Joseph.
Vilma Santos, Lipa host
national age group swim meet (The Philippine Star) Updated March 01, 2010 12:00 AM
Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos poses with, from left, Philippine Swimming
League officials Maria Susan Benasa and Susan Papa and coaches Grace and
Emil Amago of the Lipa Mediatrix Swim Club, which is organizing the Lipa
swimming meet on March 20.
MANILA, Philippines - Movie star and Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos, in
cooperation with the Lipa Swim Club and the Philippine Swimming League,
is hosting the Lipa national age group swimming meet in Lipa City on
March 20 as part of her pledge to support swimming as a competitive
sport in the province.
Santos made the announcement during a courtesy call of the PSL, which
she urged to prepare a grassroots development program to help develop
future swimmers in Batangas for international competitions using the
Lipa swimming pool as their training venue.
The national age group competition, organized by coaches Grace and Emil
Amago of the Lipa Medatrix Swim Club, will be held in six age categories
– six years and under, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12,13-14,15-17 for boys and girls.
. All interested
swimmers and swimming clubs all over the country are invited to join.
There is a minimal entry fee of P300.00 pesos/swimmer to cover the
snacks and expenses incurred by the host.
The PSL’s grassroots development program includes free monthly swimming
competitions and coaching clinics with the aim of producing world class
swimmers from the grassroots level.
Papa said Santos would support the swimming program in Batangas by
providing logistical support in terms of allowances, lodging, food and
gadgets for swimmers.
Emil Amago and the Lipa Mediatrix Swimming Club of Lipa are organizing
the swimming competition in cooperation PSL founder Theresa Alvarez and
the Aquatic Sports Association of the Philippines under Ma. Luz Arzaga-Mendoza.
Papa acted as a double for the former movie queen in her 1970 film “Dyesebel.”
Inquiries: Susan Papa tel. 807-9886, telefax O2-5563408.
DepEd NCR Swimming Meet 2010
February 16-18, 2010 - Rizal Memorial Swimming Complex
SEVERAL times in the past, Philippine Amateur
Swimming Association (PASA) president Mark Joseph
had attempted to stop the age group swimmers of
coach Susan Papa, secretary-general of Aquatic
Sports Association of the Philippines or ASAP, from
participating in swimming competitions abroad.
In
all the times that he had tried though, Mark had
failed, no matter what tactics he employed.
Early this month, I was surprised to receive an
e-mail bearing back-and-forth communications among
the PASA, the ASAP, and the Swimming Association of
Malaysia or ASUM , an association that invited Papa
and her swimmers to compete in the 43rd Sabah
Swimming Invitational meet this February.
This time Mark Joseph succeeded, no thanks to a
letter he sent to ASUM’s Edwin Chong, wherein he
hinted that ASAP may have cheated on the ages of the
participants.
“Bottom line, this small group of troublemakers,
unable to follow PASA and FINA rules, tried to
circumvent them in all possible ways,” Mark’s letter
read.
“We cannot warrant that the identification and
ages (passports with fake dates of birth can be
easily acquired in the Philippines) of the swimmers
under ASAP are truthful. I would not like our
counterpart FINA member, or any of our members, to
be victims of cheating and misrepresentation.”
* * *
While Joseph may be gloating over his success in
aborting the participation of the ASAP swimmers in
the Sabah meet, he probably does not realize that
the step he took might have very serious and
far-reaching repercussions, as excerpts of the
letter sent to him by the assistant sports editor of
another daily will show:
“I write you as a parent and as a Filipino
citizen.
“I was angered by your e-mail accusing the
participants of falsifying their passports and in
your communication with a foreign country (where you
called) the Philippines as a nation of cheats. For
your information the oldest of the batch happens to
be my son, who is 17 years old, and the competition
is for 8-under to 17 age groupers. I would like you
to tell me who specifically are the cheats in this
case; otherwise, if you cannot name names and
substantiate your charges which are now on print in
many e-mail addresses all over the world, I will
file an action against you.”
The letter of the irate parent is very lengthy
and I wish I could print it in its entirety. He said
his son and three others were not allowed to swim
under ASAP causing much embarrassment and
humiliation.
“I am filing charges against Joseph. He will have
to answer point by point all the issues I have
raised,” the editor said.
Most of the controversial issues raised by my
colleague have nothing to do with the Sabah meet.
Zambo girl
leads ASAP winners (The Philippine Star) Updated February 08, 2010 12:00
AM
ASAP swimmers, who decided
not to participate in the Sabah meet after their age eligibility and
non-membership were questioned by Philippine Amateur Swimming
Association president Mark Joseph, watch from from the sidelines in the
Sabah Invitational Age Group Championship. The Filipino swimmers’
parents are set to file charges against Joseph.
MANILA, Philippines - Mary Angelic Saavedra showed big
promise as a future national swimmer as she completed her international
debut with eight gold medals in leading the embattled members of the
Aquatic Sports Association of the Philippines at the close of the 434rd
Sabah Age Group Invitational swimming meet yesterday in Kota Kinabalu,
Sabah.
Saavedra, 12 year-old find from Zamboanga, won in the 50m freestyle
(30.9 seconds), 100m freestyle (1:15), 200m butterfly ((2:47), 50m back
(36sec), 100mback (1:18), 200m back (2:52) and 200m freestyle (2:50.6)
and in the relay.
She, however, faces a two-year suspension from the Philippine Amateur
Swimming Association, whose president Mark Joseph claimed she did not
have the PASA approval to join the meet.
Other gold medal winners were Angela Cordero (3), Juliet Cordero (1) and
Nicole Tan (1). Hans Ramos had three silvers and two bronzes.
Other players, whose age eligibility was also questioned by Joseph, did
not compete and will file charges against the PASA head.
RP swim league gains headway
(The Philippine Star) Updated January 25, 2010 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - Officials of the Philippine Swimming League, a
confederation of swimming clubs whose aim is to upgrade swimming from
the grassroots level through regular swimming meets, expressed elation
over the progress of young swimmers and the support the Philippine
Sports Commission, parents and coaches are throwing behind the
nationwide program.
“We are moving in the right direction, thanks to the support of our
national coaches, the parents and the various swimming clubs who realize
the need to develop young talents,” said Olympian Susan Papa, who
organized Saturday’s national age group swimming meet at the Rizal
Memorial swimming pool.
Lawyer Ma. Luz Arzaga-Mendoza, president of the Aquatic Sports
Association of the Philippines, said the league’s age-group series is in
line with the PSC’s grassroots development program.
“The PSC wants to go to the very root of the problem – the lack of a
nationwide effort to train young swimmers – and regular, possibly weekly
competitions are what we need to bring youngsters to the swimming pool,
and from there help them go to the next level,” said Mendoza.
Papa said she saw a lot of potential swimmers who can be developed under
the program.
Among the upcoming stars from the meet were Moira Pilapil, Mark Joseph
Capa (6-under), Ana Marie Ibarra, Aki Lorbes and Kyle Libat (7-8), Paula
Cayanan, Troy Zamora (9-10), Ana Marie Rojo, Jose Antonio Suntay
(11-12), Delia Angela Cordero, Alfred Maglabe (13-14), and Dennise
Juliet Cordero, Jeje Tolentino (15-17).
“ASAP will help them and will organize a training program that also aims
to train coaches all over the country,” said Papa, adding that part of
the swimming meet program in every locality is a free coaching seminar
held by national coaches.
“We want to bring back the glory of swimming in our country and attain
international prestige. We should start winning again in the Asian Games
and make a decent finish in the Olympics like in the 60s and 70s,” said
Papa, a national butterfly swimmer four decades ago.
The league had conducted all its nationwide age-group competitions for
free at the Rizal Memorial pool, which PSC chairman Harry Angping makes
available for free in support of the program.
The league manages to keep organizational costs at a minimum also
because of parents, coaches and donors who contribute the medals and
officials who volunteer their services.
Among the outside donors are Growee vitamins, Darren Evangelista from
Davao, Fil-Am Sonia Papa Baltazar and TV producer Theresa Alvarez.
“We volunteer to help, we want Susan Papa to continue her mission in
swimming and we don’t want it to go to waste,” said ASAP treasurer
Elizabeth Mascardo.
`
Lipa hosts ASAP swim meet (The Philippine Star) Updated January 18, 2010 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - Lipa Mayor Oscar Gozos
recently gave Southern Luzon’s grassroots swimming program a shot in the
arm with his hosting of the Aquatic Sports Association of the
Philippines (ASAP) age group swimming competition March 13 in his home
city.
ASAP secretary general Susan Papa said Gozos had offered the free use of
the 50-meter pool, built by former city mayor Vilma Santos, for the
event which will be held free of charge to any interested age group
swimmers.
“At least 500 swimmers will benefit from the generosity of Mayor Gozos,”
said Papa, who is organizing the meet in cooperation with Emil Amago,
head coach of the Lipa Mediatrix Swim Club.
Age-group events are for eight years and under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14,
15-17 for boys and girls.
“The Batangas meet will be a unique competition to visiting participants
– ASAP members from NCR and Central Luzon – as it will be free,
competitive and educational.” said Papa.
Also to be held during the competition is a coaching seminar, where ASAP
national coaches Dennis Cordero, Manny Thruelen and Papa, a former
Olympian, will lend their expertise to local coaches to help swimmers
advance to the next level.
Free coaching clinics are also part of the year-round, nationwide
grassroots development program of ASAP.
Swim league makes waves in 2009, expands program
(The Philippine Star) Updated January 04, 2010 12:00 AM
Olympian Susan Papa (left) and coach Dennis Cordero (back) with young
swimmers during a break in their training.
MANILA, Philippines - The newly formed Philippine Swimming League
made huge strides in its grassroots development program with its
nationwide clinics and participation in local and international
competitions and vows to keep its program in motion during the year
buoyed up by the enthusiastic response of member clubs.
Susan Papa, former Asian Gamer who founded the RP Swimming League, said
the association, founded barely last July in response to parents’ need
for a regular, coordinated training program for young, aspiring
swimmers, had accomplished more than what it was tasked to do during the
last six months.
The league had sent young swimmers to four international competitions –
in Australia, Singapore, Taiwan and Bangkok.
Swimmers of the Susan Papa Swimming Academy itself, run by Papa and
Susan Benasa, have been to four international meets.
“Two of my swimmers received a citation through a Senate resolution for
their gold medal win in Australia,” said Papa.
Papa said the league conducted two free competitions – both at the Rizal
Memorial swimming pool – to give students, particularly those from
public schools, the rare chance to test their mettle in competition.
More than 500 had competed in each of the two events which were backed
by the Philippine Sports Commission, Rotary Club of Manila Remedios
Circle, Growee and the City of Manila.
The league had also conducted two coaches’ seminars, one in Davao and
the other in Manila with no less than renowned Canada-based Filipino
coach Wilfredo Arzaga as main lecturer.
The league had also visited the provinces of Bohol, Davao and Batangas
and will touch base with other provinces in 2010 as part of its outreach
program.
On the local front, the Susan Papa Swimming Academy sent budding
swimmers to compete in and support invitational meets of the clubs of
Fontana, Pasiklaban, Quezon City and Antipolo.
“We have actually started our grassroots program in 2007 and we are
happy to draw support rom coaches in various cities,” said Papa.
Some of the big supporters of the Philippine Swimming League are Theresa
Alvarez, former producer of Battle of the Brains, Darren Evangelista
from the Evangelista Aquatic Sports Management in Davao, Growee, the
Aquatic Sprint School of Manny Thruelen and Dr. Vicky Santos, who
provides treatment for swimmers.
“The parents have given us the biggest support,” said Papa.
The league had received the full support of the Philippine Sports
Commission under chairman Harry Angping, who made the Rizal Memorial
swimming pool accessible to the league for its competitions.
Papa said it would also be counting on other institutions which are into
gassroots development like the Elorde Sports Center as possible
permanent venues for its swimming program.
Papa added that 2010 would be a busy year with monthly local
competitions to start Jan. 15 and 23, culminating in a championship in
December.
“The competitions will all be for free – no registration or entry fees.
The calendar for the year is fully booked, I wish there are more than 12
months during the year to make room for more competitions and seminars,”
said Papa.
Papa said the league will be setting up a different swimming format,
which will be competitive, yet educational.
Up in the calendar are the invitational meets in Davao in March.
Thirty members of the Susan Papa Academy will compete in the Malaysian
meet slated Feb. 4-6, but Papa said slots will be open to those who wish
to join. The Malaysian hosts have offered free accommodation, courtesy
of coach Dennis Cordero who had established relations with his Malaysian
counterparts.
Papa will also be sending five Filipino coaches who will undergo
training from Russian coaches invited to conduct the clinics.
Other international seminars are the World Swimming Coaches Association
Gold Medal Clinic 2010, the American Swimming Coaches Association and
the World Clinic in Indianapolis, USA – all slated Aug. 31-Sept. 5.
March 12, 2010
