Balance needed

Three things could define the Philippines – religion, politics and basketball.   Not necessarily in this order but it’s wholly dependent on which side you’re on.  

On second thought, for so long, it has become a hybrid because every game starts and ends with a prayer with some occasional kicks and punches in between.   Tournaments are usually sponsored by politicians with their smiling faces plastered all over the playing venue to further whatever their interests may be.

Consider the reported p56 million that the SBP gave Jordan Clarkson during the 2023 FIBA World Cup.  We can only guess how many millions more Justin Brownlee gets for suiting up in our colors.  Naturally, overseas based players, as well as resident pro players who were called up for duty, also get handsome compensation.

It is a fact that we had become a basketball force in Asia but personally, I think, there is a need to spend millions of pesos more to be at par with the Europeans, the North and South Americans and even the teams from Down Under, if the recent games against these teams are to be gauged.  Learning experience.

Corporate support of men’s national basketball had been lavish, to put it mildly.  This is where the glaring disparity and imbalance shows compared to other sports.

Logistics can be channeled to individual athletes who have strong potential to be relevant in the world stage.  We have the annual secondary and tertiary level athletic competitions where scouts abound.   Surely, there are prototypes of Margielyn Didal, Hidilyn Diaz, EJ Obiena, Carlos Yulo, Kayla Sanchez and Alex Eala waiting to be tapped in the provinces.  We have combat sports where we excel and which height and heft is not necessarily might.

Imagine how far the p56 million given to Clarkson if that amount was appropriated for, say, athletes in boxing, judo, taekwondo or karate, and in case some of us don’t know yet, we kick butts in these disciplines.  But in all fairness, with his high basketball pedigree, Clarkson does deserve that amount.

Except for the usual entities giving their support to PH sport, most make ‘paramdam’ when our athletes medal in major world competitions gifting them with cars, houses and in one case, a lifetime supply of fuel which still has to find its way in an empty gas tank.

It’s not only basketball that can give glory to the country and there has to be a balance as to the support of our athletes. 

With gas prices ridiculously up and the related economic impact hurting the regular wage earners, the solution the government had done was to impose a curfew, ban videoke singing and drinking on the streets as well as going around without shirts, and the current resident of that palace by river not wanting to gain weight.  How about that for balance.