Olympics, Philippine Style

The Summer Olympics are over, I know. Life is back to normal -- at least, we have reverted to our nocturnal routines, catching up on sleep, and not reporting to work in the morning like zombies. Life is back to normal -- at least for us mere mortals, though perhaps not for Beijing celebrities like aqua man Michael Phelps and diminutive dynamo Shawn Johnson.

What struck me most about the Beijing Olympics was not the spectacular opening and closing ceremonies which the Chinese put up -- nor its government's ability to sugar coat human rights abuses (which reminded me of Imelda's whitewashing of slum districts to hide gross poverty from visiting dignitaries). I was mostly bothered by the story which Philstar and The Asian News carried: Lucio Offers P1M for Olympic Gold. Filipino athletes were being offered millions of pesos for bringing home Olympic medals. A memorandum of agreement had been entered into by business tycoon Lucio Tan and Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuango, which in effect would pay any gold-winning athlete in the Olympics P7 million.

Later reports indicate that the total award had ballooned to P9.5 million ($214,000) as other donors joined the bandwagon. I can imagine the handshaking and back patting which must have taken place at Lucio Tan's Century Park Hotel, where officials must have congratulated themselves for a job well done.

Republic Act 9164 offers P5 million for a gold medal, P2.5 for silver, and P1 million for bronze. Funds from government coffers, plus Philippine Airlines' P1 M, Microsoft-Philippines' P1 M, Jimmy Ong's P1 M, Manny Pacquiao's million and another half a million pesos from the Philippine Sports Writers Association come up to impressive monetary awards for our Filipino athletes. A gasoline company even came up with a year's free supply of gasoline and oil for winning Olympians and their coaches.

That's a lot of mullah. But there is something wrong in the picture. Firstly, the Olympics are intended for amateur athletes. Monetary awards are not part of the Olympics mission statement. Of course, in this day and age, it's naive to think that Phelps, Johnson, and other Olympic medalists are not going to be the recipients of lucrative endorsements. And one can argue that with the mix of amateur and professional athletes participating in the games, the line between unpaid amateurs and paid professionals have blurred. So why deprive our 15 Filipino participating athletes a shot at good fortune?

But the point really is, the Olympics cannot be won by last minute efforts. There are no shortcuts in these arduous tests of human endurance, skill, strength and performance every four years. Our fifteen Filipino athletes who competed in boxing, diving, swimming, weightlifting, shooting, archery, and taekwondo in Beijing should have been given the money four years before the beginning of the games so they could train properly for their respective events.

Is it any wonder, that after all these years, as the news story points out "no Filipino in the history of the Olympics has ever won a gold medal."? Since the 1924 Paris Olympics, the Philippines has won a measly total of 9 medals -- 7 bronze medals and 2 silvers. The Philippines has the distinction of being the country with the most medals except for gold.

Five of the nine medals won (and the two silver medals) have been in boxing. Anthony Villanueva won the silver medal for boxing (featherweight division) in Tokyo in 1964. Mansueto Velasco, fighting in the light flyweight division, won the second silver in Atlanta in 1996. The four bronze medals won outside of boxing were in swimming, in the 400 meter breaststroke (Amsterdam, 1928), the high jump (Los Angeles, 1932), the 200 meter breaststroke (Los Angeles, 1932), and the 400 meter hurdles (Berlin, 1936).

Does the United States, which brings home more medals than any country in the world, sign memorandum of agreements to entice its athletes to win? Do government officials and business tycoons meet the press to publicly offer monetary rewards for Olympians? No, money and resources are put into the rigorous training and long-term development of athletes years before the games begin. Endorsements are mere icing on the cake.

The Philippine government and its sports officials do not get it. You do not harvest unless you plant. And you cannot plant unless you prepare the soil properly. Instead of offering millions of pesos at the podium or the end of the line, they should put their money to good use by building adequate sports facilities, funding athletic programs, hiring good coaches, supporting promising athletes, etc., several years before the start of the Olympics. Failing to do the basic things, then glibly offering monetary rewards at the last minute is an exercise in futility and unproductive, self-serving publicity.

There is no reason that Philippine athletes, given the facilities to train, proper coaching, adequate nutrition, preparation, training, etc. will not perform spectacularly in future Olympics. We just need to put in the time, effort, and resources. We will not see the results we want, unless we put in the hard work. That is one lesson we, Filipinos, need to keep in mind.

And one lesson that does not apply only to sports, either.

Stars and Legends

(Francis “Mr. Clutch” Arnaiz, 56, despite not having played since migrating to the US two decades ago, still had the trademark spitfire quickness in him)





It was not LT leading the Chargers to a last-minute touchdown or Peavy clinching a playoff spot for the Padres – and, Tiger’s 24-foot clutch putt in the 18th hole to capture the Arnold Palmer Invitational, tying the legendary Ben Hogan with 64 career wins, could not have made it any sweeter.

No. It was Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao relentlessly pursuing another world championship on Saturday and Ron “Big J” Jaworski and the PBA legends coming alive at San Diego State University on Sunday, which made this weekend a memorable back-to-back treat for Filipino sports enthusiasts.

Pacquiao earned a split decision over Marquez in Las Vegas, putting the Philippines once more on center stage of the boxing world. Traffic may not have come to a standstill in Nevada or California, as they would have from Manila to General Santos, but when was the last time we heard “Bayang Magiliw” sang beautifully to millions around the world?

And what did we get to see on Sunday at the Peterson Stadium at San Diego State? A dream come true –- a reunion of the biggest basketball stars -- heads bowed together in prayer before the jump ball, then dribbling, passing, shooting, laying up and scoring, as if a quarter of a century had not elapsed.

Ramon “El Presidente” Fernandez, 54, with 4 MVP awards and 18,000 career points, could still squeeze his lanky frame through a barricade. Abet “Pride of Camiguin” Guidaben, all time leader in total games played (1,081), still controlled the backboard. Bogs “Mr. Nice Guy” Adornado and Atoy “Fortune Cookie” Co, both 56, were as sharp with their perimeter shots as ever. Francis “Mr. Clutch” Arnaiz, 56, despite not having played since migrating to the US two decades ago, still had the trademark spitfire quickness in him and Manny “The Old Warrior” Paner, 58, was still, if a few pounds heavier, a rebounding presence.





The electrifying presence of so many basketball greats under one roof was matched only by their friendliness at the sidelines and off the court. Several times, before and after the games, and at half time, the players went out of their way to shake hands with adoring fans and have their pictures happily taken with them. They patiently signed autographs – on souvenir programs and shirts, on basketballs, shoes, and on whatever fans offered to take home as treasured souvenirs.

Atoy Co roamed the stadium during the last quarter, up and down bleachers, to kid around with fans. I was impressed that Ron Jaworski kept signing shirts and entertaining fans, even as he was busy coaching his team to a 99-87 victory. Manny Paner took the time to chat, even inviting us to call him up at the Bureau of Immigration in Manila where he currently works.

Led by Abe King, Jr., who was constantly joking with everyone around, every single player -- from the old guards (Jaworki, Paner, Co, Adornado, Cezar, Arnaiz, Victorino, Villamin, De La Cruz, etc.) to the youngest stars (Patrimonio, Magsanoc, Alvarez, Meneses, Lago, Bade, etc.) -- readily mingled with the crowd. These remarkable athletes showed us they were not only stars and legends; they proved to be true gentlemen as well.

The PBA Legends USA Foundation, under the leadership of Abe King, Jr. who now divides his time between Gig Harbor, Washington, and Hawai'i, has come up with a worthwhile project – a grand reunion tour of the Philippines’ greatest basketball players (to the delight of US based basketball fans) and a venue to raise funds for charitable and educational projects in the Philippines and in the USA. Since the Foundation is a 501C3 non-profit, tax-exempt corporation, individual and corporate donors may deduct their charitable contributions to the foundation.

We hope that the "brief shining moment" we experienced this weekend was the first of many more to come. We look forward to the return of the PBA stars to San Diego and to even more generous commercial and community support for this worthwhile endeavor. On his end, Abe King Jr. promised that his players would hit the gym and train even harder for next year’s event.

My thanks to Rev. Fr. Chris Kintanar, pastor of Our Lady Queen of Angels in Alpine, for making it possible for me to get a close up view of the PBA legends. Both Mon Fernandez and Manny Paner hail from Cebu and, many times in the past, I watched them play from afar. It was gratifying to shake their hands and reminisce about the Queen City of the South.

And thanks to the Asian Journal for publicizing the event. Otherwise, yours truly (and many other sports fans) would have missed a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Happy Easter to you all!

(Dr. Gamboa can be reached by email at ed.gamboa@yahoo.com)