Looking forward to 2014

Now that 2013 is slowly drifting away into history, we’re anticipating big things for Philippine sports in the Year of the Green Wood Horse. In the Chinese Five Elements theory, wood is connected to tree and green which is why Chinese astrologists refer to 2014 as the Year of the Green Wood Horse. Horse is the seventh animal or sign in the Chinese horoscope sequence. The previous Year of the Green Wood Horse was in 1954.

A website claimed that 43 percent of the winning jockeys in the last 100 races of the Grand Nationals in England wore green silks. If that’s a trend, it could be another banner year ahead for La Salle and Freddie Roach who swears by the luck of the Irish and the green shamrock. Green, however, isn’t the color of 2014. It was in 2013. The coming year’s color is purple-pink or what color coordinators call radiant orchid. In the PBA, the forecast must be bright for Globalport which wears green and Air 21 which wears purple.

What are the stories we’d like to read in 2014? Here are a few samples.

• Gilas advances to FIBA World Cup knockout Elite Eight. It’s September in Spain and Gilas has survived the first round of the preliminaries and the knockout Sweet Sixteen. From the draw in February in Barcelona, Gilas got lucky and moved into a group with Korea, Senegal, USA, Egypt and France. The Philippines lost to the USA and France but beat Korea, Senegal and Egypt to climb to third place in its bracket. Senegal and Egypt dropped out of contention as the last two placers. By the way, FIBA ranks Senegal No. 41 and Egypt No. 46. The Philippines is No. 34.

Placing third meant Gilas crossing over to play the second finisher in the opposite bracket made up of Lithuania, Australia, Angola, Iran, Slovenia and wildcard Brazil. Struck out were Angola and Iran, leaving Lithuania No. 1, Australia No. 2, Brazil No. 3 and Slovenia No. 4. In the knockout Sweet Sixteen, the Philippines played Australia. The battle was a struggle since Australia arrived with NBA veterans Andrew Bogut, Patty Mills and Aron Baynes. But Gilas was just unstoppable. A noisy crowd of Filipino supporters inspired the Filipinos to play like they did when Gilas crushed Korea in the FIBA-Asia semifinals last August. Gilas shocked the Aussies, 77-73, as Jayson Castro showed up Mills in a duel of quick-stepping point guards.

Coach Chot Reyes’ starting five of Marcus Douthit, Japeth Aguilar, Jeff Chan, Castro and Gabe Norwood paved the way for the shock troopers to finish the job as Marc Pingris, Jimmy Alapag, L. A. Tenorio, Larry Fonacier, Ranidel de Ocampo, Gary David and JuneMar Fajardo kept the fire burning until the final horn. Making it to the knockout quarterfinals guaranteed an eighth place finish for Gilas, a remarkable achievement considering the conclave brought over the top 24 teams in the world. The feat has sparked a nationwide celebration in the Philippines even as Gilas still had to play in the quarterfinals. A win in the quarterfinals will elevate Gilas to the semifinals and another win to the finals.

• Pacquiao dethrones Bradley. It’s April in Las Vegas and Manny Pacquiao is back in the saddle as the WBO welterweight champion. Pacquiao faced Timothy Bradley in a rematch at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the same venue where Desert Storm took away the Filipino icon’s WBO belt via a highly controversial split decision in June 2012. This time, Pacquiao made sure of the outcome. Bradley, fighting defensively, was in no mood to engage but Pacquiao charged in with both fists churning to register a sensational third round knockout. Bradley, who had never lost before, couldn’t stave off Pacquiao. He tried to duck, run and hide. Pacquiao, however, was all over Bradley. Looking sharp and in perfect condition, the 35-year-old Pacquiao banged away at Bradley’s large head – an easy target – and dropped him with a left hook to the jaw with about a minute left in the third. Bradley got up at the count of six. Referee Kenny Bayless took a close look at Bradley’s eyes and let the fight go on.

Bradley raised both arms as Pacquiao waded in. A left hook to the side of Bradley’s body drew a grimace and as the defending titlist’s arms dropped to protect his middle, Pacquiao fired a vicious right cross to the jaw. Bradley fell like a sack of potatoes, his eyes tightly shut. Bayless didn’t bother to count. Now back on the throne, Pacquiao declared he’s ready to take on Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a much-awaited showdown to determine who deserves to be called the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.

Mayweather was vacationing in the Bahamas when Bradley capitulated and sent word that he, too, is ready to rumble. Lawyers from both camps later agreed to set the duel in November. It will be the start of an intriguing trilogy between the gladiators. Pacquiao and Mayweather will fight nobody else until they settle who’s No. 1 in the ring.

• Philippines captures 10 golds at the Asian Games. It’s October in Incheon and the Philippines has exceeded expectations by claiming 10 gold medals at the Asian Games, the most since garnering 14 in 1954 in Manila. At the 2010 Games in Guangzhou, the Philippines brought home only three golds courtesy of flyweight boxer Rey Saludar, bowler Biboy Rivera and 9-ball cue artist Dennis Orcollo. Four years before in Doha, the haul was four golds from boxers Joan Tipon and Violito Payla, Antonio Gabica of billiards and wushu’s Rene Catalan.

The harvest came on the heels of the Philippines’ 29-gold medal collection at the recent Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar. The Asian Games excluded chess, dancesport and dragon boat where Filipinos had medal hopes but they delivered in boxing, bowling, wushu, golf, archery (for the first time, the compound class was introduced), billiards, judo, karate and taekwondo. Shining for the country were boxer Mark Anthony Barriga, Orcollo and Rubilen Amit of billiards, karatista Ramon Franco, Jr. and golf’s Princess Superal and Miguel Tabuena.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia, the chef de mission, was all smiles in the closing ceremonies with his mission accomplished. The country hadn’t garnered more than four gold medals since compiling seven in 1962, was blanked in 1974 and could only produce one gold in 1990 and 1998.

More dreams for 2014 tomorrow.