Jaworski speaks, loud

Since he was elected senator, Robert Jaworski has been immersed in politics, first learning the ropes, then getting swallowed in the riptide of the last upheaval that propelled a new administration into Malacañang Palace. Thus, it has been unusually long since the sports media have had a chance to hear the outspoken basketball player speak.

Jaworski appeared before the weekly SCOOP sa Kamayan on Padre Faura in Manila, mostly to share his thoughts about disturbing trends in sports today. But first, he had to answer questions about the exclusion of several athletes from the law which granted large cash incentives to medallists from Olympics and Asian Games.

"That was a product of the representations we made," he began. "You know me; I would rather a few people suffer than the majority go without. It would be nice to include everybody. But I don’t think it would have been good to include all the medallists from the SEA Games and so on, and wait another 25 years before we can come up with the hundreds of millions of pesos it would take to pay them."

It was natural for Jaworski, himself a veteran of Olympic basketball competition, to be asked about the proliferation of Fil-Am players in the PBA and MBA. His comments were blunt and incisive, as always.

"During our time, we faced the Americans on even terms. I have nothing against Fil-Am players, because we cannot ignore the fact that we have countrymen all over the world looking for their place in the sun," the former PBA MVP explained. "But up to what point? Would we rather win the gold medal in international competition, and have the Japanese or Chinese investigate our players? Would we like it if they discovered some of players to be fake, and came here to take back the medal?"

Jaworski, although no longer chair of the Senate Committee on Games, Amusements and Sports, said he would fight for regulation to impose stricter guidelines on the entry of Filipino-foreign players in professional basketball here.

"There are many, many players who toiled for years in our collegiate leagues and amateur leagues, who might not be given a chance to play just because there are so many Fil-Ams," he declared. "And these are the players who have shown dedication and commitment to our country. We should protect them. And if these are true Fil-Ams, then let us learn from them, so that, in some way, our local players will be able to improve also."

The many-time national coach also shook his head at the way the Palarong Pambansa is being handled, and stressed its importance in providing the impetus for a true nationwide grassroots sports program.

"How can we have a good competition when the Palaro is held during summer? When was the last time they saw their athletes? And how will these children compete when they just keep their allowances to give to their poor parents?" Jaworski elaborated.

"Sometimes, we just put up an event for the sake of saying we were able to do it. But what have we really produced? The Palarong Pambansa can have a very big impact on our youth and the future of sports. But what effect has it really had with the way it is being handled?"

"Let’s be honest with ourselves," the neophyte legislator said plainly. "It’s time for us to wake up. What we are doing now no longer works, if we were to look at the way sports is being done in China and Japan, we will be ashamed. We really have to look at the track record of our sports officials."

Since Jaworski has not officially retired from the PBA, it was inescapable, albeit amusing, that he answer the riddle of whether or not he was secretly plotting a comeback.

"To be perfectly honest with you, I still have sleepless nights," he admitted with a wry smile. "I miss the game, and I notice things that I don’t understand happening in the place where I came from. I look for the game. But I guess we have to accept certain things brought about by time. But I’ll tell you, I would like the chance to be able to handle the national team again."

Lastly, the country’s most popular sports figure decried the attitude that some high government officials have in dealing with sport issues.

"When we back something up, these people sometimes react even when they don’t understand," he revealed. "And – because it’s Jaworski – they are against it. Magiging bida na naman daw ako. But I’ve been through that already. Senador na ako; hindi ko na kailangang maging bida. And this is not for Jaworski or anybody else. This is for our people, to bring back the character, the values that we seem to have lost along the way."