Content to be mediocre

No revamp. That’s the message delivered by First Gentleman Mike Arroyo to his first cousin, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Carlos (Butch) Tuason, in the wake of the country’s showing at the recent 21st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur.

Job well done?

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Celso Dayrit seems to think so. He insists that the Philippines’ haul of 66 silvers was an indication of progress. It meant that Filipino athletes were in contention for golds thrice more than the Vietnamese, explains Dayrit. Besides, the Philippines collected a total of 163 medals, compared to Vietnam’s 132, even if there were at least 50 more Vietnamese athletes than Filipino in K.L.

Never mind if the Philippines slipped to fifth place in the final standings and was overtaken by Vietnam. Never mind if Vietnam joined the SEA Games only in 1989 and the Philippines has been a fixture in the biennial meet for decades. Never mind if the Philippines bagged only 30 golds – its lowest harvest since 1989, not counting the 1999 Brunei competitions which limited sporting events from 32 to 22.

If you crank out the percentages, the Philippines was a dismal flop in K.L. Filipino athletes took 7.7 percent of the golds at stake – the lowest in nearly 25 years. The percentage has been on the decline since 1997 when the Philippines claimed 10.4 percent. In Brunei, it fell to 8.6 percent.

Tuason boldly predicted a haul of at least 40 gold medals during an audience with President Arroyo at Malacañang a week before the Games. I was there to witness it. I remember someone boasting to the Chief Executive that the harvest could even reach 80 golds. I also remember Tuason setting as a goal no less than a fourth place finish for the Philippines.

In a clever twist, Tuason says the athletes shouldn’t be blamed for failing to make good on his promises. I wonder where Tuason got the notion that athletes should be blamed for things that he promised.

In 1997, Tuason – then the Philippine National Shooting Association president – warned that someday, Vietnam would be a force to reckon with at the SEA Games .Who says Tuason isn’t good at making predictions?

Also, in 1997, Tuason was quoted in The STAR as saying that "Filipino athletes do not have the commitment and dedication that their foreign counterparts have – after they have been admitted to the national team, they take things for granted; if you yell at them or penalize them, they will invoke human rights violation or they will petition for your ouster." Did he blame the athletes for the Philippines’ showing in 1997?

In 1999, Tuason – already the PSC Chairman – rated the country’s haul of 20 gold medals as "not that bad," if you consider its collection of 27 silvers. "We were almost there and this is worth looking into," he said, quoted by Today.

Now, Dayrit is singing the same tune as Tuason did two years ago. Forget the golds. Savor the silvers instead. What about the fourth place finishes? Should Dayrit also list how many bronzes were almost in the bag?

Tuason and Dayrit appear fixated in the Philippines’ struggle against Vietnam. Are they content to be fighting for fourth place? Are they resigned to Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia dominating the SEA Games? Are they happy that the Philippines is vying for the crumbs that the powers leave behind?

Malaysia and Thailand pocketed over 100 gold medals each. Indonesia claimed 72. The Philippines was nowhere close with 30 – and that was a good show?

While our neighbors gain in strength, we are deteriorating. It’s no fault of our athletes. Blame it on the petty bickering among our officials – the intrigues that wreak havoc within the ranks of National Sports Associations (NSAs). Blame it on the indecision of authorities who would rather play politics than show the guts to right the wrongs that plague sports. Blame it on unscrupulous sports leaders who wantonly spend public funds for their trips abroad while athletes scrounge for what little is left on the table. Blame it on NSA presidents who refuse to give up their positions despite a track record of incompetence and failures.

In 1997, Tuason spoke about the poor attitude of Filipino athletes. What about the attitude of sports officials? How much did the government spend for the PSC Chairman and three Commissioners to pose for pictures and entertain the First Gentleman in K.L.?

Sure, the athletes did their best and should be commended for their efforts – under trying conditions. They could’ve done a lot better if only our sports officials thought less of themselves and more of the athletes.

For Tuason and Dayrit to crow that the Philippines didn’t do badly in K.L. is an insult to the intelligence of the Filipino people.