EDITORIAL - End of the line

With the protest filed by the Philippines over boxer Mark Anthony Barriga rejected, the country’s biggest hope for a medal at the London Olympics was dashed. Barriga lost to Kazakhstan’s Birzhan Zhakypov, 17-16, in the light flyweight fight – a decision that the International Boxing Association upheld.

The Philippine team still has BMX rider Danny Caluag and Marestela Torres, who will compete in the long jump on Wednesday. But Filipino expectations for an Olympic medal were pinned largely on the boxer from Davao, who is now out of the Summer Games. Caluag and Torres may still surprise us. But if they don’t win anything, it will be a repeat of the Summer Games in Beijing, when the Philippine team also returned home without a single medal.

A medal is just a piece of metal, and it is often said that sportsmanship is more important than winning. But victory in international sporting events is always a boost to national pride, whose value is immeasurable. One only has to recall what happens across the country at every boxing match of Manny Pacquiao, and the emotions generated by his two most recent fights.

With only a week to go in the London Olympics, athletes in many countries are already preparing for the next Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. That’s still four years away – enough time for committed athletes to hone their skills and endurance for international competition. Certain athletes particularly in advanced economies personally invest in their own training, in terms of time, money and the necessary disciplined lifestyle. In other countries, governments pour resources into sports development, supporting not only promising athletes but also their families.

Even with limited resources, the Philippines can focus on developing athletic skills in selected sports. Pacquiao is the best example that Filipinos can excel in sports where competitors are evenly matched in terms of body build, or where a taller or heavier opponent does not enjoy an advantage. Rio is four years away; the next Philippine Olympic team should be much better prepared for competition.