Philippines Swimming
2019 SEA SWIMMING RANKING LIST
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PSI Former long-time President Mark Joseph Passes away at 56
Philippine Swimming Inc. (PSI) President Lani Velasco announced that former PSI president Mark P. Joseph died in his sleep in London on Thursday morning (Philippine time).
Joseph, 56, served as PSI head for almost 12 years during the tenure of then Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Jose Cojuangco Jr.
“With sadness, we would like to announce that Mark P. Joseph, former President of Philippine Swimming Inc and former Vice Chairman for High Diving Discipline in FINA, passed away at the age of 56,” said Velasco in a statement sent to the media.
Joseph’s interment will be announced soon.
“Mr. Joseph died peacefully in his sleep in the United Kingdom. His sister, together with the rest of his family, is making arrangements for his funeral.”
“Mr. Joseph made a significant impact on Philippine swimming by promoting the sport at the grassroots level and by raising Philippine swimming to international standards,” the statement concluded.
POC President Ricky Vargas expressed his sympathy to Joseph’s family.
Joseph was a hall of famer athlete as a De La Salle University swimmer.
Source:
https://www.manilatimes.net/psis-joseph-passes-away-at-56/522325/
PSI upbeat on SEAG chances
The leadership of the Philippine Swimming Inc. (PSI) remains upbeat that the 10-year gold medal drought in the Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) will end when the country hosts the biennial sportsfest late this year, PSI president Lani Velasco said yesterday.
“I feel we will win not just one (gold),” said Velasco, noting that five Fil-foreign talents will beef up the squad that will take part in the Nov. 30-Dec. 11 SEAG.
Apart from these recruits, PSI will still parade the multi-awarded Jasmine Alkhaldi as well as James Deiparine, who took two silvers in 2017 in Kuala Lumpur and Roxanne Yu, who bagged bronze also two years ago.
“The swimmers are training and the preparations for the SEAG is running smoothly,” said Velasco.
A meeting with Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez is tops on Velasco’s priority so she could map out her athletes’ buildup for the SEAG.
Vargas calls on ex-tankers to support swim tryouts
INVOKING the spirit of patriotism and unity, Philippine Olympic Committee president Ricky Vargas will try to convince former national swimmers turned coaches Ral Rosario, Pinky Brosas, Akiko Thomson Guevarra and Eric Buhain to support the national team swimming tryouts for the 30th Southeast Asian Games in November under the supervision of the Philippine Swimming Inc. led by Lani Velasco.
“We should try to set all our personal differences aside and work towards unity and what is best for our athletes and our country,” Vargas said after he was informed about reports that Rosario and company intend to boycott the tryouts.
Vargas said he would try to meet with the group, which continues to question Velasco’s leadership despite securing recognition from both the International Swimming Federation and the local Olympic body, within the week to persuade them to support the national team trials.
Through POC membership committee chairman Robert Bachmann, Vargas met with Velasco recently, with the PSI president assuring both POC officials the national squad tryouts would be “all-inclusive” and based on FINA rules and guidelines.
“Obviously, we should have the best athletes available to us for the SEA Games. That’s why we have always stressed inclusivity in these matters,” Vargas said. “There is no need for acrimony and divisiveness. We can work this out.
“Lani has announced she is willing to do this. I call on the other groups to cooperate and work as one for the country’s interest.”
The Philippine SEA Games has taken on added significance after Velasco managed to secure sanction from the world swimming body last Feb. 1 making the regional swimming showcase an Olympic qualifying event for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a historic first.
“We have the pleasure to inform you that FINA has approved the following competitions as meets where swimmers can achieve FINA “A” and FINA “B” swimming qualifying standard times (for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games).,” FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu wrote Velasco.
Underscored in the correspondence was the SEA Games swimfest scheduled Dec. 2 to 6 at the New Clark City Swimming Stadium in Capas, Tarlac.
Making the PH Games an Olympic qualifier virtually guarantees that all of the region’s swimming elite, among them Singaporean Olympic sensation Joseph Schooling and Vietnamese phenom Nguyen Thi Anh Vien, will see action in the competitions.
“We would like to thank FINA for approving the 30th SEA Games as an Olympic qualifying meet. This is truly a first in the history of Philippine swimming,” Velasco said.
https://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/sports/vargas-calls-ex-tankers-support-swim-tryouts?fbclid=IwAR2FbYVGAn3M2XyTneDyLhhTVcisGFp07gWUnX9s4YQ7NHYXVle2OU8Roe4
POC, PSI agree to hold ‘all-inclusive’ swim tryouts
PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee president Ricky Vargas and Philippine Swimming Inc. president Lani Velasco met last Wednesday and agreed to hold an “all-inclusive” national team tryouts for the 30th Philippine Southeast Asian Games under the terms and conditions set by the PSI.
Vargas had lunch with Velasco at a restaurant near the POC chief’s PLDT office in Makati, a source told Business Insight-Malaya yesterday,
“and Mr. Vargas was enlightened and was able to appreciate why the SEA Games team tryouts should be held under PSI rules and guidelines.
“The meeting between him and Velasco was quite cordial,” the source said.
The International Swimming Federation recently re-affirmed the results of the Feb. 17, 2018 PSI polls where Velasco was elected as the new president.
The POC lifted its indefinite suspension on the PSI last November, paving the way for Velasco to attend the local Olympic body’s general assembly meeting yesterday at the Meralco indoor theatre in Pasig City.
