The Asiad postscripts

From the start, we’ve never heard of wild medal predictions from sports officials as to our performance in the recently concluded 2018 Jakarta Palembang Asian Games. There was a modest target of bettering our previous Asiad medal output (15) and ranking (22nd). Indeed, with a 21-medal haul of 4 golds, 2 silvers and 15 bronzes, we jumped three notches to 19th place.

Still a meager haul compared to other Southeast Asian nations like Indonesia, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore who all finished ahead of us. Why? Because we insist on funding a glamor team with obscene amounts of money in a sport that we can’t dominate, plain and simple.

Our Asian neighbors have the sanity and understanding to train their athletes in disciplines that they have strong chances of winning. They medalled in track events, individual and contact sports. They medalled in team sports that they’re

traditionally competitive. They sent lean but strong contingents that saved their nations on travelling and other related expenses.

Let’s take boxing. We have the talent and the material but I think training methods need to be looked into. With his legendary accomplishments in the sport, let us have Sen. Manny Pacquiao take charge of the training and development of our boxers. He’s the perfect person and possesses the undisputed credentials to handle the country’s boxing programs. Considering his position and stature, the resources at his disposal is ridiculously unlimited. Doing this, quick knock-outs are doable and we won’t then have to howl in protest to the consistently questionable judges decisions.

Our big name track athletes already are past their prime and in their stead, we have imports, athletes of mixed parentage. There were expectations but they inhaled the dust left behind by the competition in Indonesia. They’re supposed to be better trained as they are based mainly in the US with better training and facilities yet they stumbled big time. What gives?

Swimming? We are a country composed of 7,100 islands, ergo, there’s water all around. Logic dictates that more than 80 percent of the population knows how to swim and a good number of that percentage are strong swimmers. It’s impossible not to find a few rough gems needing some polishing. Going against the currents of our last few remaining clean rivers is a good start.

Aside from boxing, we also did well in other combat sports and majority of our medals come from them. Our sports officials should and must focus on these events, but sadly, politics and oversized egos haunt our national sports agencies that preferred personalities, some even remotely related to fitness and athletics, occupy important and powerful positions. I’m afraid that because of too much politicking, our athletes will be fed with bukbok rice and formalin-enriched imported fishes, as what that someone from the Department of Agriculture said is safe to eat. It makes my day if they’re really eating it day in and day out.

Skateboarding made a strong impression with a gold medal finish, courtesy of a dusky Cebuana lady. The only Filipino entry to the Minneapolis, Minnesota X-Games 2018, she used to make her practice runs, or maybe call it suicidal runs, on our busy streets and some converted sidewalks. There was a plan to put up a sports hub complete with a skate park at the SRP and with a pledged P5 million donation but it came as no surprise that the project tripped because of the narcissism-infested City Council.

I would really hope that in future international competitions, our teams would really be carrying our country’s colors. We’re actually seeing on our team uniforms a teenyweeny flag on the upper chest and a huge advertisement of either a take-away roasted chicken or a telecommunications company. Goodness freaking gracious, it’s the national team, not a commercial team.

The coming SEA Games next year, which we will be hosting, should be the gauge if we had learned some lessons on the last Asiad. But if the same people will be polluting our national sporting agencies, we shall continue dreaming of the unreachable stars and frolic in the purgatory of has-beens.

***

The US Open is turning Japanese. For the first time in the open tennis era, Japan’s Kei Nishikori advances to the men’s semis. He’s in for a long hard climb on a tough mountain called Novak Djokovic. Likewise, the women’s singles finals will feature immovable tennis goddess Serena Williams and a Japanese first timer on the Grand Slam event, 20-year old Naomi Osaka. It’s easier said than done but it would be nice to see them both victorious, if only to appease their countrymen from the effects of the recent storm and earthquake. Banzai!