EDITORIAL - Filipinos can be a soccer powerhouse

There is a great sporting spectacle presently being held on African continent's wealthiest country. For more than a week now, it has held the world hostage by its intensity and magnitude.

The World Cup, held in South Africa from June 11 to July 11, has been soccer's most prestigious event. Running for a month, it is considered one of the longest tournaments in the world.        

For decades, soccer (also called football in many countries) has been dominating the world as the number one sport. Its popularity made it a household name from South America to Africa, from Europe to Asia. Only in the United States where its popularity pales in comparison with baseball, basketball and hockey.

While the World Cup euphoria sweeps through every corner of the globe, the Philippines seems reluctant to join the fever. Filipinos have been instead preoccupied with the finals of the National Basketball Association, probably the most popular foreign sports tournament in the country.

Soccer legends such as Pele and Diego Maradona do not exist in this country's sports vocabulary. But a mere mention of the names of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson could generate a heated debate as to who among them has been the greatest basketball player on the planet.     

Filipinos' passion for basketball dates back to the American colonization. Americans had introduced basketball in the country and, up to now, Filipinos have been happy with their marriage to the game.

Yes Filipinos had excelled in basketball, shining from one international tournament to another. But that was 50 years ago when speed, not height, had been what defined the game.  

Today, the country has lost its dominance in international basketball competitions. It is no longer a force to reckon with in this era when height plays a crucial role in winning the game.

Unlike basketball, soccer primarily uses speed to score a goal. And Filipinos have a lot of that skill. If given the proper training, they can become a soccer powerhouse in the future.

The current standing saw the Philippines at the near bottom of the list of soccer-playing nations. Blame that to the country's sports officials for their failure to establish programs to develop the game from the grassroots.

It's time for Filipinos to divorce from basketball. It's time for them to court soccer and be a World Cup contender.