Wisdom of the Sword

It came as a shock when I found out that Cito Dayrit was gone. He was more than a good friend, he was a beacon in championing fair play and sportsmanship. Cito disdained politics in sports and never compromised his principles. That’s how he was as an athlete, official and person.

Cito spoke his mind in often sending texts and emails whenever there was a controversy involving sports. He was above petty bickering and protecting turf. To him, sports wasn’t an avenue for self-acclaim. It was a way of honoring one’s country. When the pandemic broke out, Cito appealed to the IATF not to forget “our sports heroes and frontliners who serve our country in their own battleground.” His intention was “to identify and select the deserving national athletes and coaches who will be allowed to undergo special training and physical conditioning on specific days, alternatively with other athletes to minimize crowding in the venues.” Because of lockdown and quarantine controls, he said national athletes had more to lose while in hibernation.

Cito also reminded Olympic qualifiers that even as they’ve booked tickets to Tokyo, they must continue to follow the requirements of their NSAs (national sports associations) consistent with the rules of the International Federations (IFs) that govern their sport. He looked forward to the coming Olympics, anticipating the Philippines’ best performance ever. Cito pointed out that in the last three years, the Philippines has made great strides in international sports with its best finish in the Asian Games since 2002, best finish in the SEA Games in terms of medal output and hosting the biggest sporting conclave ever with 56 sports in the SEA Games to surpass Olympic and Asian Games levels.

Last December, Cito wrote a letter to Rep. John Marvin Nieto, chairman of the House Committee on Youth and Sports Development, arguing against the proposed bill to ban minors from participating in martial arts competitions. “To safeguard the health, safety and the general well-being of all our athletes of all ages nationwide,” he said, “it may be wise to enact such laws that would require any competition or event organizer to respect the authority, avail of the expertise and secure the partnership of the NSAs which are rightfully mandated by their IFs and recognized by POC and PSC.”

Cito graduated from La Salle with a Business Administration degree in 1973 and with a Master’s in Business Administration diploma in 1978. He was vice president of BPI Credit Corp., PSC commissioner from 1993 to 1998, fencing NSA president from 1997 to 2008, POC president from 1999 to 2004, Olympic Council of Asia vice president from 2002 to 2007 and Fencing Confederation of Asia president from 2005, serving his fifth term until his death. As an athlete, he represented the country in fencing from 1979 to 1988 and bagged a bronze at the 1987 SEA Games.

In his book “Wisdom of the Sword,” Cito shared his personal quotations on life, leadership, discipline, competition, teamwork, salutation and defeat. “Sports is not just about sports,” he said. “Sports is about life. The way you live your life reflects on the way you play sports. The way you play in sports shows the values that you have in life. Sports is not just about beating an opponent, it is also about beating your own fears, of being your own weakness. Sports is not just about winning medals, it is also about winning friends, it’s about winning respect.”

I remember Cito inviting me to his table during a SEA Games dinner function in 2019 so he could introduce me to Olympic champion Edwin Moses who sat beside him. He knew I would be bowled over meeting Moses and had me in mind so I could interview him for a scoop which I did. The story was published in the Dec. 10, 2019, issue of The Star.

Cito was confined at the Pasig Doctors Medical Center and last April 5, texted his friend ABAP secretary-general Ed Picson from the hospital, saying he continued to require oxygen support. He had COVID but it didn’t stop him from calling Ed to ask about our Olympic boxers while in bed. That’s how he loved sports. Ed said Cito later lapsed into a coma and never regained consciousness, passing away last Wednesday. ABAP president Ricky Vargas said, “he was a friend and valued adviser and I relied on his professionalism, vast knowledge and experience and honest point of view ... Philippine and international sports just suffered a devastating loss.” We’ll all miss you, Cito, may you rest in peace.