Sports Eye
PH sports woes
By Jesus A. Garcia, Jr.
AT last our prayers to win at least one gold medal in this year’s Youth Olympic Games (YOG) was answered, courtesy of archer Luis Gabriel Moreno in tandem with Li Jiaman of China in the international mixed double’s event. And perhaps his partner the Chinese Jiaman was also the big factor why the duo won the gold. But anyway gold is gold as per the rule says. Yes, we should not be ashamed but instead very proud to shout “Mabuhay ang Pilipinas.”
But honestly I’m not knowledgeable about this event that I believe was not held in the first edition of YOG held in Singapore four years ago. Like the 3×3 basketball that is played in half-court, which is not played in the open-age Olympic Games (OG) but YOG plays. Surprisingly YOG doesn’t do the more popular the regular basketball game that uses the whole court with five players in each team. I think YOG officials want to be different because YOG is strictly for 14 to years old only, unlike OG which has no age limit.. I agree.
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There’ are some sentiments of Filipino basketball coaches in colleges, universities and the professional league PBA about the policy allowing the hiring of foreign dribblers that is depriving our talented but not so tall homegrown potentials. Actually this was started by PBA (formerly called MICAA) is reasonable since a professional league is different from an amateur rank and sponsoring team companies are badly in need to win for publicity and promotions of their products. That’s professional basketball for you. Commercialism is now also being allowed in the OG unlike in the past when sponsors were banned. Until the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, only amateur cagers were allowed to play. But starting 1992 in Barcelona, Spain, professional dribblers were permitted to prove their worth against the amateurs, same in lawn tennis, cycling, shooting, badminton, football, judo to name some, but except boxing.
Same goes for the chess Olympiad, billiards and the bowling world cup. These three sports especially chess where we believe the country had hoped to win the gold by PH stalwart Wesley So (elo 2755), is not included in OG. I don’t know why. So, 20, from Bacoor, Cavite is considered as the 12th best player in the world and (now) one of candidates for the world championship if he maintains his elo rating. But unfortunately for us, So is reportedly inclined to represent the U. S. now instead of standing up for his birth country all because of differences with the national governing chess body the National Chess Federation of the Philippines. Same thing is happening also to our national football federation with two Azkal members (I forgot their names) who also quit the squad for similar reasons.
But look what’s happening now to our Gilas Nationals that despite naturalizing two black American cagers, Marcus Douthit and Andray Blatche, the team lost six games and won only one during their seven tune-up scrimmages in France and Spain. We just beat the lowly Egyptians but we’re fruitless against France, Australia, Ukraine, Angola, Spain and Dominican Republic. In fact, latest news said the newly Filipino naturalized Blatche cannot represent PH this coming Incheon Asian Games in South Korea because of the three-year residency rule. The Asiad regulation is different from the FIBA World Cup that allows Blatche to play. And I believe that sans Blatche in the Gilas team, our chance of winning even one game in the coming WC in Spain is very low and maybe even nil. Let’s just wait and see.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: And Jesus Christ said “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful just as your Father also is merciful. LUKE 6: 35-36
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