Be a millionaire, join the Olympic Games

By Al S. Mendoza

YOU want to be an instant millionaire?

Buy a lotto ticket.

But winning the lotto jackpot is a one-in-a-million affair.

Like golf’s hole-in-one, a lotto win can only be made by God.

There is another way for you to earn a million – even millions.

Join the Olympic Games.

Do you know that anyone from our 11 Olympians in London can win P5 million by pocketing a gold medal?  A silver is worth P2.5 million and bronze P1 million.

As I write this to meet deadline, two of our Chosen 11 have fallen by the wayside – swimmer Jessie Khing Lacuna and weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz.

Lacuna, 18, was racing second in his heat in the 200-m freestyle.  That was, however, in the first 150 meters.

Come the last 50 meters, Lacuna faded and ended fifth among seven aspirants.

When all heats were completed, Lacuna was 36th among 40 entries.

Although seeing such finish by a Filipino in that event doesn’t shock us anymore, in fairness, Lacuna didn’t swim bad.  He just wasn’t Olympic caliber.  He will never be.

The Olympiad has never been our turf; it will never be.

Only the best prevail here.  And ranged against the field, we are not even close to being considered good.

Of the 16,000 or so athletes from 204 countries, our Chosen 11 are farthest from being considered better.

Let’s be clear on this:  We are not in the Olympics to win.

We are in the Olympics merely in answer to a global call to foster friendship among nations through sports.

Perhaps, we could spring a surprise in one sport: boxing.

Of the seven medals we’ve won thus far since we started joining the Olympics in 1928, four of them came in boxing.

A silver each by Anthony Villanueva in Tokyo 1964 and Onyok Velasco in Atlanta 1996.

The bronze medals were won by Leopoldo Serrantes in Seoul 1988 and Roel Velasco in Barcelona 1992.

The other three bronze medals came in swimming and athletics.

Teofilo Yldefonso, from Piddig, Ilocos Norte, remains the only Filipino back-to-back medalist, finishing third twice in the breaststroke in Amsterdam 1928 and Los Angeles 1932.

The Ilocano Legend transformed from Olympic Idol to National Hero as he died defending the country in 1942 as a member of the 57th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Scouts in Bataan during World War II.

The fifth bronze was snatched by 5-foot-11 Simeon Toribio of Tagbilaran, Bohol, and finishing third in high jump in Los Angeles 1932.  He served as Bohol congressman in 1941-1953 and died in 1969 at the young age of 63.

There was no incentive yet then.  All our former living medalists – from Anthony to Onyok – hardly enjoy the so-called good life today.

Indeed, they were ahead of their time.  Way ahead.

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