EDITORIAL - Filipinos are world-class athletes

It’s sad to think that nobody cares about the report on the Filipino rowers winning the biggest international dragon boat competition last week. Maybe we can blame it on the Azkals, Manny Pacquiao and basketball.

While Filipinos are being captivated by Pacquiao’s exploits in the sweet science and the Azkals’ rise to prominence in Asian football, many of us hardly notice the sterling performance of the Philippine team in the 10th International Dragon Boat Federation World Championships held in Tampa Bay, Florida.

The Philippine Team bested other teams from 17 countries and snatched the gold medal in the 1,000-meter men’s event. It was not, however, an ordinary win. The Filipino rowers set a world record in that event with a time of four minutes and 57 seconds.

Composed of members of the Armed Forces, it was the first gold for the Philippine team in the major division. However, the Filipinos’ good showing this year was not unexpected, having the record holder in the small boat division in the 2007 and 2009 editions of the event.        

This victory of our athletes only showed that Filipinos are beginning to carve a niche in international competitions. But the problem is we still inclined to favor particular sports such as basketball and boxing.

We crazily celebrate every Pacquiao’s victory while we giggled when an Azkal scored a goal. But when the Filipino rowers beat their rivals in the dragon boat world championship, there was no celebration in the streets. It seems their victory was just like winning a dama match at a nearby barbershop.

Basketball, boxing, billiards, and now football, are what dominate the Filipino consciousness nowadays. Other sports such as volleyball, tennis, badminton, swimming, among others, have been left on the sidelines as if there’s no hope for Filipinos to excel in these disciplines.         

That is not the way to develop the sports in the country. The Chinese have become a major force in sports because they have programs aimed at developing every sporting discipline.

Filipinos could indeed compete in any sporting event. If given the proper training, they can become world-class athletes.