RICHARD “DICKIE” BACHMANN admitted on Wednesday that the offer from the highest official of the land for him to head the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) was something he couldn’t decline.
“I just couldn’t decline President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.’s offer to serve Philippine sports,” Bachmann told BusinessMirror on Tuesday afternoon, just hours after he resigned as operations manager of the Local Organizing Committee for the Fiba World Cup the country is lead hosting in August.
“I was in the United States in California with my family when I was informed about it,” Bachmann narrated. “I was asked if I’m interested in the job and it’s very difficult to turn down something when the country’s most powerful figure asked you to man the job.”
He cut short his US holiday and flew back home on New Year’s Eve. He is scheduled to be sworn in as the 12th chairman of the PSC in Malacañang before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, along with newly-appointed commissioners Edward Lim Hayco and Walter Francis Torres.
Bachmann, 54, is also obligated to resign his post as basketball commissioner of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, a task he’s supposed to handle for three seasons, and as 3×3 head of the Philippine Basketball Association.
He opted not to announce his plans at the PSC but promised to do so after he takes his oath and proceeds to the sports agency’s offices inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
“I will mention that [plans] after my oath-taking tomorrow [Wednesday] so that everything will be proper place,” he said.
Volleyball association head Ramon “Tats” Suzara, master planner and LOC board member for the FIBA World Cup hosting, said Bachmann is best suited for the job “because he’s not only a sportsman but also an executive.”
“He will bring new innovations to Philippine sports because of his experience as sports executive and it will favor everyone,” Suzara said.
Former PSC chairman William Ramirez, meanwhile, encouraged support for Bachmann.
“The success and failure of the leadership of the PSC will always be the success and failure of everyone,” Ramirez said.
With Bachmann, Hayco and Torres being sworn in Wednesday, the PSC board now has a quorum—bowling great Olivia “Bong” Coo was appointed in July—with a fourth commissioner still to be named by Malacañang.
Bachmann played college basketball for De La Salle and professionally for Alaska. He replaced Jose Emmanuel “Noli” Eala who was PSC chairman for only four months.