長く問題を抱えていたフィリピンバドミントン協会（ＰＢＡ）が、幹部メンバーを入れ替えて再出発することになった
国内外で、「フィリピンにはバドミントン協会が２つ存在する」と揶揄されてきたことに象徴されるように、協会内部には根強い対立があり、協会そのものに対する不信につながっていた。しかしこのほど、バドミントン協会会長を務めるラモス元大統領夫人、アメリタ・‘ミン’・ラモス氏が自ら退任の意向を表明。同時に、対立軸に名前の上がっていたエロール・チャン氏も協会から離れる旨を記した書簡を送った
こうして協会再編に向けた道筋ができた背景には、３人の重要な人物の存在がある。１人は昨年５月の総選挙で当選したジェジョマル・ビナイ副大統領。残る２人は、国内通信最大手トップの実業家マヌエル・Ｖ・パンギリナン氏（通称ＭＶＰ）と、娯楽企業トップで下院議員に当選したばかりのアルフレド・ベニテス氏（通称アルビー）だ
いずれも自ら定期的にラケットを握るバドミントン愛好家で、とりわけＭＶＰとアルビーの両名はそれぞれ、ゴルフの米国・欧州対抗戦「ライダーカップ」にヒントを得たバドミントンのアジア・欧州対抗戦「ＭＶＰカップ」、世界バドミントン連盟（ＢＷＦ）公認の「フィリピンオープン・グランプリ（ＧＰ）ゴールド」という国際大会の国内開催を実現させるなど、バドミントン界に大きく貢献してきた
地元紙フィリピンスターによれば、これらキーパーソンのほか、バドミントン協会の上部組織であるフィリピンオリンピック委員会（ＰＯＣ）のホセ・コファンコ委員長らを加えて12日に行われた会議で、ミン・ラモス氏がビナイ副大統領にバドミントン協会トップの権限を移譲することに合意したという。一方で、ＭＶＰとアルビーが協会の要職に就く。ただ詳細については、ミン・ラモス氏が現在の協会幹部と話し合い、投票を行った上で正式決定されるもようだ。なおミン・ラモス氏は会長職を退いた後も、名誉職として協会にとどまる予定
Ming steps down for Binay in badminton
By Joey Villar (The Philippine Star) Updated February 14, 2011 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines – Former First Lady Amelita “Ming” Ramos the other night stepped down as president of the Philippine Badminton Association, transferring the mantle of leadership to Vice President Jejomar Binay and ending a long leadership dispute in one of the troubled national sports associations (NSAs).
“For the sake of unity for badminton, I am giving way to Vice President Binay,” Mrs. Ramos told The STAR yesterday.
She talked to the sport’s stakeholders at The Fort Saturday night in a meeting attended by Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco Jr. and agreed to give way to the Vice President.
Sports patron Manny Pangilinan, whose MVP Cup had lured some of the world’s top players, was named chairman of the PBA by acclamation while Negros Occidental Third District Rep. Albee Benitez, whose Bingo Bonanza sponsored a number of Philippine Open Badminton Championships, was designated secretary general.
Mrs. Ramos will remain in the PBA as its honorary chair.
She, however, refused to elaborate, saying she still needs to talk to the heads of member-clubs of the PBA and all these will depend on the election which the PBA plans to hold soon.
“Everything was solved last night (Saturday). It’s peace at last in Philippine badminton after years of conflict. She was magnanimous, she did it for the love of badminton,” The STAR source said, referring to the former First Lady.
Errol Chan, who was elected president in the POC-supervised election two years ago, did not attend the meeting but sent a resignation letter.
“It was also a magnanimous move on his (Chan) part,” said the same source.
The leadership change came after the group of companies headed by Pangilinan included badminton as one of the eight NSAs set to receive financial and logistical help.
“For badminton, the goal is to be among the top three in Southeast Asia. Why only top three? It’s a bit of a tall order to beat Indonesia and Thailand. They are way ahead of us. But there’s no reason why we can’t be in their league,” said Pangilinan in Friday night’s launching of the MVP Sports Foundation, Inc. dubbed GOAL! Pilipinas at the Meralco gym.
The new group is expected to get the POC recognition as well as that of the Badminton World Federation, which has recognized Ramos from the start.
It has actually lined up a series of tournaments nationwide this year, starting with a ranking tournament next month.
The PBA, under Mrs. Ramos, staged two big tournaments recently, including the Ming Ramos-Victor National Youth and Open Championships, which featured the country’s leading and rising stars, and the Corporate Cup.
BadPaL 