The Philippine Olympics Committee and its retinue of publicists should have been made to run from Beijing to the nearest coastline and then made to swim in medley the vast China sea till they find the shores of Babuyan Islands and there be forever banished for the shame they brought the Filipino people during the last Olympiad.
It is humiliating for a nation of 87 million people that regularly proclaims itself to be world-class to come home empty-handed from the most prestigious games where even tiny and obscure nations manage to obtain a medal. Mauritius, Togo, Moldova? How about famine-stricken Ethiopia, reduced-to-rubble Afghanistan or strife-torn Sudan?
Jamaica has a population of 2.8 million people and produced 6 golds plus silver and bronzes or a medal for every 247,000 people. But Bangladesh and Pakistan who have much bigger population than ours didn’t get a medal either, one is tempted to say. But that is not a reason to be perennial losers. That is reason for us to exert all efforts to join the league of winners and not be counted among the company of losers.
The consistency of our Olympics failure becomes doubly shameful when viewed in our constant world-class posturing in the most petty of achievement — divine diva, Asia’s songbird, megastar, among the laughable ones in a long list of titles given to our pop idols, or the frontman of an aging rockband, a guest stint in a popular US TV show, a chef in the White House, a plethora of caregivers, a minor role in a Hollywood movie, and feel free to add to the list.
I am not saying we should not take pride in the achievement of our countrymen, we should but not in the magnitude like they’re the most magnificent thing to happen on earth or the hardest feat humankind can achieve. Let us save those breast-beating at the opportune time, when it is truly worthy of it, when the world really watches. More often than not, we are near the last if not the last of competitors to finish even in qualifying heat. I don’t blame the athletes, I only blame the officials — whose corruption stinks all the way to sports and knows no bounds — and our attitude towards them.
Our culture is a factor as well. If we are really to progress in sports, we have to engage in a nationalist, scientific and mass-oriented culture that includes sports development that is anchored in our potentials to win. Not an elite-dominated colonial system built on popular appeal.
Forget basketball ( I don’t know why we cling to this obsession especially in college games, we even have professional league) or swimming — it doesn’t matter if you bested your personal record ( this is not your personal battle), the fact is you are a tidal wave away from beating the world record holder.
Concentrate in boxing where we have real chances as have been proven several times. Try scouting among the Badjaos or the Muro-amis for diving potentials. Search the countryside for long distance runners who regularly traverse on foot the road less expanse of our rural landscape. Channel those dancing energy and grace of our youth we find in every club, street corners, or talent shows into gymnastics and similar discipline. Our indigenous game sipa reveals our talent that can make us good football (soccer if you wish) players.
There is a vast field of sports we can be competitive at. We only need to find the right one and put the right people to develop it. There is a big population base to search in. We only need to find the right potential and the right program to train them. Of course there is hope for an Olympic medal that will truly make us world class. And I am sure about it.
Otherwise, we can always send Dyesebel for swimming, Lastikman for gymnastics, Kapten Barbel for weightlifting, Totoy Bato for boxing, or if everything else fails send the Comelec as official score tabulators — they can make us win.
If not just go send Gloria as final card. Trust me, she can lose but still win and no one could make her return the medal, especially gold.
