National pride

One need only to pick up any of today’s daily newspapers and just read the Sports section alone. He will immediately sense that Philippine sports in general has not been spared of the economic, political and cultural ills and divisions that are currently besetting our country.

One visit to the Rizal Memorial Stadium was all it took for me to see how far we are from giving our athletes the proper venue to play the games they have worked at so hard and long to perfect. As I walked through the grounds, I felt as though I was in some sort of time warp waiting for Felicisimo Ampon, the Philippine tennis champion of the 1950s, to come out and play. My visit to one of my favorite venues as a child turned into a nostalgic nightmare.

However, as a sportsman and in my old age, I have learned and realized that all things — the good and the bad, the victories and the defeats, the championships as well as the runner-up finishes — happen for a reason.

It may sound strange, but it was the lost games and tournaments that I have under my belt as a player and coach that have taught me best how to prepare for the next.

I have found the goal and challenge in accepting the present and losing state I found myself in and doing all that I could from wherever I was to overcome and even transform it.

Once I came close to achieving even just the first part — acceptance, I was already half way to overcoming and learning from the defeat I suffered.

As the Southeast Asian Games approaches its opening date in November, there appears to be a lack of excitement or even national pride one would think normal for a country playing host to an event of this importance.

Here is an opportunity for spectators and host country to show ample and much deserved respect to these individuals who have devoted their time, talent and in many cases lives in pursuit of their goals.

Having been chosen to represent the country on a number of occasions, I can honestly say that from an athlete’s point of view, it is an honor and dream of a lifetime.

For many an athlete, it is a defining moment when his love of country is born and takes root in his heart.

However, the greatest disservice that can be done to a national athlete is to have him compete and represent his country when he has not been properly prepared.

Not only does this kill the belief he may have had in himself, but it also takes away the sense of national pride that representing his country would bring out in him.

Former host country Vietnam sent their athletes to China for training and preparation several years prior to the actual games itself. We started sending most of our athletes only a few months ago.

A total of $400 million dollars was the amount Vietnam allotted for the training and preparation of their athletes and venues.

At present, our country does not have the means to prepare our athletes in any way that we can even call decent. This is a reality we must accept.

We cannot and should not wait for government funds to redeem us from this predicament. At this point in time, we must face the fact that it cannot and should not be expected to do so.

Hundreds of millions of pesos are needed to fund this event properly and as our present economic situation reflects, a large percentage of our population is on the brink of poverty and starvation.

However, millions of pesos are being spent in Philippine sports through corporate funding and sponsorships. Unfortunately, only few sports are benefiting from this generous move. Perhaps a system could be developed so that other sports can share in these as well. The ripple effect of this will be unifying and incalculable.

The time has come for those who can make a difference to make decisions that will benefit the whole and not just the parts.

As the date of the opening of the 23rd SEA Games approaches, and with our stadium, athletes and associations finding themselves in the conditions they are in, the perfect stage has been set for the private sector to reach out to the athletes, who come from the grassroots of our society.

Majority of our national and aspiring athletes come from this sector. Though a good number of them do not have a degree or diploma it is through the mastery of their respective sports that they have managed to find their place in society and deserve the respect due them.

Reaching out to them in this way may bridge the growing gap in our country and it’s a reality we have to deal with.

It would be a pity if we sleep through it all.

Only if we wake up to this reality and help heal the present crisis in the sporting world can we begin to give our present national athletes and those aspiring to emerge in the future a country worth playing for.