Swimming icon Eric Buhain described as “answered prayer” the FINA’s decision to withdraw recognition of the board of trustees of the Philippine Swimming Inc. (PSI).
“The decision of FINA to withdraw recognition is a welcome development for Philippine swimming,” said the Barcelona Games veteran, who owns 13 Southeast Asian Games gold medal and now a congressman representing the First District of Batangas on Monday.
“Fina’s decision is an answered prayer by the Philippine swimming community,” said Buhain, also a founding member of the Congress of Philippine Aquatics Inc. or COPA, a swimming organization that has a membership of 174 clubs from all over the country .” Fina is our hero and angel.”
The FINA withdrew its recognition of officers and board members of the PSI and instructed the stabilization committee that will run the association’s day-to-day operations, amend its by-laws and conducting new elections.
The memo, which the FINA stressed as “effective immediately,” was dated December 3 and signed by FINA executive director Brent Nowicki was sent to the PSI through its president Ma. Lailani “Lani” Velasco. Copies of the FINA directive were also emailed to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and Philippine Sports Commission.
“It has been a 20-year struggle for swimming and more importantly, the swimmers themselves, since the time [the late] Mark Joseph led and without due notice to Fina, ‘changed’ the FINA rules on unauthorized relations,” Buhain said.
