The country is back in the fold of the global tennis community following the International Tennis Federation’s lifting of its suspension of the Philippine Tennis Association on Sunday.
“I am pleased to confirm that the ITF Board of Directors has decided to lift the suspension of the Philippine Tennis Association in accordance with Article 5 of the ITF Constitution,” ITF president David Haggerty said in a letter dated 21 January to Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.
Tolentino thanked Haggerty and the ITF for their swiftness in reinstating the Philta, which was suspended for three years on governance issues.
“The POC would like to thank Mr. Haggerty and the ITF for lifting the suspension that would allow Philippine tennis to get back on track,” Tolentino said.
The POC became an ad hoc administrator for tennis with Ramon Suzara heading a task force with Robert Joseph Moran (soft tennis) and Ting Ledesma (table tennis) as members until the association constitution was revised in consonance with ITF regulations and approved by the world governing body.
The ITF-ordered and POC-supervised elections of the members of the Philta board of trustees were held last 11 December at the Century Park Hotel in Manila with Parañaque City Mayor Eric Olivarez being named president.
Also elected were Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino as vice president, Calabarzon’s Gerardo Alcala as treasurer and Mimaropa’s Theodore Jose Matta as internal auditor.
