Christmas wishes

A Blessed Christmas to all.

This is the annual Christmas wish list, which is actually for the New Year. So much has happened over the last twelve months, both liberating and confining, that as a people, we feel like we are only starting to breathe again after the confinement of the pandemic. We’re stepping out into the light again, probably more like the first cavemen than we would like. Unsure of our footing, rediscovering what makes us happy, comfortable, even just content. Sports has been turbulent, exciting, political, evolving, regressing. We’ve reached highs and lows, and look forward to more. Survival of the fittest.

This writer wishes for more work for everyone. I know what it’s like to be scraping for your family, to be unable to sleep because you have mouths to feed. I’ve been there. That was why, during the lowest point of the pandemic, I solicited projects to give my fellows something, anything, to keep them going. Those were unforgettable times. You have to use them as a launchpad for something greater, catapult yourself to greater heights. The harder a bow is stretched, the farther an arrow flies. I wish for more work for everyone. Particularly in the sports broadcasting profession, where there is no protection, where a veteran of many, many years can be discarded for the next young, cheaper guy who comes along.

I wish for more success for our athletes. The Olympics are just around the corner, again. I pray for more breakthroughs, to inspire, direct and fire up the next generation. I pray that EJ Obiena maintains his focus and supplants Armand Duplantis, more for my selfish Filipino ego than anything else. I pray that Caloy Yulo gets his head on straight and doesn’t let personal matters get in the way of his golden Olympic dream. It’s just so important. I dream of weightlifting and boxing straightening out their respective messes and staying in the Olympics. I hope for winter athletes like Sofia Frank getting the support and recognition they deserve, so they don’t tragically fall by the wayside or are pirated y other countries like their predecessors.

I wish for more focus and better organization in basketball. I hope the PBA can get back onto free TV. It’s just got too much behind it to not be seen by a bigger audience. My fervent longing is that they rediscover what made them the entertainment of the masses once again. Personally, I wish for the Pilipinas Super League continue its upward trajectory and provide a home for basketball people and broadcasters like myself. There are a lot of good people there, from top to bottom, and a comfort level I haven’t felt in years. It’s been fun, and seems that it will continue to be. The league and twenty teams share a vision and are committed to being a beacon for professionalism in the sport.

I pray for the Philippine Sports Commission, its board members and staff. My wish for them is to stay the course, elevate their endurance, and not get bogged down by the pettiness of politics which always plagues Philippine sports at the highest level. There is just too much at stake. The agency has such a big role to fulfill, that it cannot be less than excellent. I also wish for the Games and Amusements Board to continue finding ways to protect our boxers and other professional athletes. I hope that Congress can revisit the laws around GAB and give it more teeth and ways to generate revenue. Increasing their licensing fees would be a good place to start.

Lastly, I wish for a stronger grassroots development program. It can save our nation from problems that seem so gargantuan. Healthier children think more clearly, make better decisions, and contribute to a nation’s growth, instead of adding to its burdens. They function better, more efficiently, and are happier overall. But most of all, I wish for all or you to have health, peace of mind and the love you need year-round. Christmas is, for me, something that should be lived every day, regardless of your faith. Let’s be generous with one another. We’re not going to be around forever. Let’s make it count.