The bright side of ’21

There were several shining moments in Philippine sports last year and here are 10 of the most memorable highlights.

• Ending the drought. Since the Philippines made its Olympic debut in 1924, no Filipino athlete – male or female – has won a gold medal until weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz came along to hit paydirt at the Tokyo Games this past year. The breakthrough came in the Philippines’ 22nd Olympic appearance and was providential. Diaz competed in the newly-created 55-kilogram division, perfect for her because she had previously lifted in the 58 class in 2008 and 2012 and 53 in 2016.

• Breaking the Asian record. Pole vaulter EJ Obiena jumped to 5.93 meters to eclipse the Asian mark of 5.92 set by Kazakh Igor Potapovich in Stockholm in 1998. Obiena shattered Potapovich’s record in his third and final attempt at the Paris Diamond League last September. Obiena was also the only Asian to qualify for the Olympic pole vault final in Tokyo.

• Olympic boxing grand slam. The Philippine boxing team brought home three medals from the Tokyo Olympics, the most ever by any sport in a Summer Games for the country. Women’s featherweight Nesthy Petecio and men’s flyweight Carlo Paalam bagged a silver each while men’s middleweight Eumir Marcial claimed a bronze. Of the Philippines’ total of 14 Olympic medals in history, eight came from boxing.

• Basketball rebounds. With IATF authority, the GAB facilitated the return of basketball all over the archipelago from the PBA to MPBL to NBL to WNBL to VisMin Super Cup to PBA 3x3 to Chooks To Go 3x3. An amateur league FilBasket also staged its inaugural competition with regional LGU clearance. Gilas continued to compete, picking up valuable experience at the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers, Olympic qualifiers and the King Abdullah Cup in Jordan.

• Donaire in amazing comeback. Nonito Donaire Jr. wrested the WBC bantamweight crown from France’s Nordine Oubaali via a fourth-round KO in Carson City last May then, at 39, disposed of countryman Reymart Gaballo, also in the fourth round in the same venue last month. Donaire’s devotion to his profession, family, discipline and country is exemplary in today’s boxing world. He was recently named the Premier Boxing Champions’ Fighter of the Year.

• Yuka wins US Women’s Golf Open. Fil-Japanese teenager Yuka Saso pocketed $1 million for winning the US Women’s Golf Open in San Francisco last June. At the 2018 Asian Games, Saso bagged a pair of golds for the Philippines in the individual and team golf events. Last November, she announced her decision to elect Japanese citizenship when in the past, she held both Filipino and Japanese passports. She was made to choose before turning 22. Saso will be 21 when the Asian Games roll out this year – will she play for the Philippines one last time before turning 22 or will she wear the Japanese colors?

• Biado rules pool. Carlo Biado, 38, became the first Filipino since Bata Reyes in 1994 to capture the US Open 9-ball championship in Atlantic City last September. Another Filipino Alex Pagulayan won the title in 2005 but played for Canada. Biado and Reyes were the only winners representing the Philippines. A slew of Filipinos took runner-up honors with Dennis Orcullo in 2012 and 2014, Lee Vann Corteza in 2013, Ronnie Alcano in 2007 and 2008, Rodolfo Luat in 2006, Jose Parica in 2003 and 2005 and Reyes in 1995, 1996 and 1997. Pagulayan was also second in 2002.

• Collegiate athletes back in training. Early last month, CHED announced that varsity athletes could return to training in anticipation of the re-opening of the UAAP and NCAA seasons in February or March. For close to two years, student athletes were in limbo because of the pandemic and some gave up their collegiate eligibility to turn pro in the PBA or overseas. CHED’s clearance brings back life to collegiate leagues that were dormant since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020.

• Yulo on track for 2024. Gymnast Caloy Yulo failed to land a podium finish at the Tokyo Olympics but at the World Championships in Kitakyushu last October, was a picture of excellence in winning the gold in vault and silver in parallel bars. He took the gold in the floor exercise at the 2019 World Championships so his repertoire has expanded to include more events. At the 2024 Paris Games, Yulo plans to go for the individual all-around gold.

• Welcome to the National Academy of Sports. The first phase of the facility will be completed in February at New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac. A P557.8-million budget was allocated for the academic and administrative building and a multi-sport gym. Filipino scholar athletes will be the beneficiaries of the learning center and training grounds.

Tomorrow’s column will be about the dark moments of the past year.