Relish the Triumphs, Uphold Philippine Sports

Written by Justin B. Rivera
Illustrated by Joshua Paul C. Shimizu
Posted on August 14, 2021 | 9:25 PM

For generations, Filipinos have placed far too much emphasis on irrelevant sports with practically no chance of reaching the Olympic podium, which is what afflicts Philippine sports. Wrong priorities and the lack of cutting-edge facilities, capable coaches and trainers, and incentives for athletes are all contributing to the country's decline in international competitions. Though our recent success in the Tokyo Olympics proves otherwise, our very own athletes have displayed their frustrations with insufficient funding and resources. As a result, many people, including myself, believe that Philippine sports should be fully supported, beginning at the grassroots level and continuing through training and development, which requires state funding.

Hidilyn Diaz, for example, won the Philippines' first Olympic gold medal in the women's weightlifting competition without help coming from the Philippine government due to the conflict between them. This tension started when Diaz was tagged and labeled as an enemy of the Duterte administration—an accusation she has categorically denied. This encounter of Diaz underlines the importance of maintaining a clear line between politics and sports development. Other members of Team Philippines have also relied heavily on private-sector assistance for their training, and they have done so in an environment fraught with uncertainty. Yet even though our athletes did not get much funding from the government, their performances in the Olympics were remarkable. Most have even dubbed it as “The Best Ever Finish” of the Philippines in the Olympic games.

Furthermore, Hidilyn Diaz’s accomplishment has introduced, what we can only assume, a new era of Philippine Sports. She has not only written a page in our history, but she has also changed our perception of our national athletes as well as ourselves. Her victory was, of course, felt by Nesthy Petecio (women's featherweight) and Carlo Paalam (men's flyweight) in their fight for gold in their final matches. There was a palpable sense that these athletes weren't just hoping to avoid defeat, but were truly aiming to bag the elusive gold medals. Along with Eumir Marcial’s bronze (men’s middleweight), these four medals were historic for our country, and they were met with an outpouring of incentives, bonuses, and pledges.

Ultimately, the performance of our Filipino Olympians in the Tokyo Games demonstrated that Filipino athletes can compete with the best in the world, even without proper funding, and that, prior to winning Olympic medals, sports can be a worthwhile activity for our youth. In a way, it has moved us to prioritize our aspiring athletes, which requires an early start, learning, determination, funding, and support, just as the shooter, Jayson Valdez, was educated and is morally supported by our school. Our athletes’ success in Tokyo has also widened the range of Philippine sports. From street skateboarding, to pole-vault and athletics, to weightlifting and artistic gymnastics, which may help eliminate cultural stereotypes about youth, sports, and gender that some (or many) people firmly believe in.

However, there should be a better way than what is currently in place to fully develop and finance athlete development and training, as well as sports promotion, because we cannot leave our athletes at the hands of corrupt officials looking to capitalize on their prestige.