Dreaming of gold

Pardon us for being skeptical. But when sports officials say Philippine athletes may bring home not just one but two gold medals from the Olympic Games in Sydney this year, it is tempting to say, "Dream on." Filipinos have been hoping for a gold since the country first joined the Olympics in 1924 in Paris. So far our athletes' best has been two silvers, won by boxer Mansueto "Onyok" Velasco in Atlanta four years ago and by Anthony Villanueva in the 1964 Tokyo Games. The other day, when Philippine Olympic Committee president Celso Dayrit announced that the country's contingent to the Sydney Games is good for two golds, he had to emphasize that he wasn't joking.

Dayrit said he is pinning his hopes on boxing and taekwondo -- sports where there are weight classes so no contender has an overwhelming advantage in height, weight or girth. Three Philippine fighters have so far qualified for boxing in the Sydney Games while there are four entries in taekwondo.

The teams are currently training in earnest, Dayrit said, presumably with a lot of help from the government's sports agencies. Many of the country's honors in sports have been won by athletes who owed little or nothing to the government for their training and excellence in their respective fields. Last year, hopes for an Olympic gold in Sydney were all but dashed in the ugly leadership brawl that rocked the Philippine Olympic Committee, which ended with Dayrit replacing Cristy Ramos as POC president.

Is there reason to hope for the best in Sydney this year? The Koreans dominate taekwondo, and the Philippines has the best chance only in weight categories where the Koreans aren't competing. Filipino boxers are good, but there are equally accomplished and determined fighters out there. Filipinos can only hope that the stiff competition will challenge the country's athletes to train harder, and will push the government to give them all-out support.

The dust has settled at the POC and sports officials can now concentrate on their main task, which is reaping honors for the nation. Maybe Dayrit knows his business and is correct in his assessment, and the country can finally bag that elusive gold. Let's hope this time it will be more than wishful thinking.