A sportsman’s aim

Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III has been a sportsman all his life. Since grade school, he has been a member of the chess team, and competed extensively as a student. In 1990, he topped the bar examinations, and dove into private practice and service to the community. Now he is heeding the call to serve the public at large as the only senatorial candidate from Mindanao.

This writer asked him, as a veteran chess player and supporter of several sports, how he viewed the on-going accusations of conspiracy and game-rigging in chess. He places the issue in the light of difficulties in recruiting new players because of the encroachment of technology.

"We have to keep the name of the game of chess clean," said Pimentel, a four-year National Youth Commissioner representing Mindanao. "There have been very few young takers of the game because computer programs are getting stronger, human players are being turned off. This is a blot to the image of the game."

He explained from experience how difficult it is to prove such allegations, because chess is an internal, mental game, and your emotions and physical condition are major factors.

"Your play is affected by your mood, your problems, your experiences on that day so maybe the players just had a bad day, so that’s why they made a weak move. It’s very difficult to prove," the law professor elaborates.

Acknowledging the fact that government (particularly the legislature) has not really supported sports — as shown through the Philippine Sports Commission’s fluctuating budget through the years — Pimentel says the permanent solution would be to create a Department of Sports, similar to what the national governments of Australia, Germany and other countries have done.

"I think we should now elevate the sports agency into a Department of Sports, so that the budget will be fixed, and they can now have long-term plans," advocates Pimentel, a bachelor of science majoring in math before he became a lawyer. "But even if you have a department of sports, they should really choose the sports to concentrate on, because if we choose sports we are not physically compatible or not designed to excel in globally, we will not get that elusive Olympic gold medal."

Having also played golf, billiards, badminton and table tennis regularly, Pimentel already has a short list in mind.

"We should concentrate on sports which do not require height, and that’s boxing," he begins. "If muay thai becomes an Olympic sport; maybe billiards, bowling, archery. A well-practiced Filipino can win a gold medal in swimming, especially the longer-distance events, and even track and field events like the marathon or some middle distance events."

Pimentel, also a resource person of the Catholic Media Network, believes that the PSC commissioners should have fixed terms equivalent to an Olympic cycle of four years, which would make it easier to evaluate them. He also explains that national sports associations have to prove that they deserve the lion’s share of the funds, and shouldn’t take it personally if they are not prioritized.

"So let’s have a Department of Sports and then let the secretary and his team now choose the sports to concentrate on and then pour resources. That’s the meaning of prioritization. When you prioritize something, it gets more resources. The chosen sports should now get the bulk of funding, attention and support."

If he would have the opportunity, Pimentel hopes that he can help sports on a larger scale through legislation, and find heroes who can inspire Filipinos to excel in any field they choose.

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During last Friday’s PBA semifinals at the Araneta Coliseum, three high school students were robbed by a gang who pretended to have been victims of a robbery. The students were approached in a shop at Gateway Mall by a young man asking for help in identifying a supposed robber. He convinced them to leave their belongings with a companion at the food court, with an additional gang member posing as someone who had his belongings returned. Needless to say, when the young good Samaritans returned, their wallets, cell phones and jackets were gone.

Araneta security manager Ronald Unay said that they will put up additional security measures to prevent a recurrence of this incident, and warns patrons to refer any strangers who approach them to the nearest security officer.