Happy days over

In my previous columns, I wrote on the scheming and manipulating ways of hosts countries in the Southeast Asian Games.  Well, we all know that as host, they are allowed to include indeginous sports (in some cases, it’s only them who knows how to play the sport.) this “alien” events allow them to reap medals and a drive for the over-all crown.  However, these practices may soon be over, what with Philippine Olympic Committe president Bambol Tolentino meeting with the Sea Games Federation officials recently to stress out problems haunting the Games.  One bright note  in the  meeting was a measure to limit indigenous sports to just four, starting  in the 33rd edition of the Games which Thailand will host while also guaranteeing maximum exposure of Olympic events.  Tolentino said they set a minimum of 10 Olympic sports and 10 sports being played in Asia.  However, they didn’t touch the issue of naturalized athletes.  A glaring example was in basketball, where Cambodia fielded an almost all-American first five.  This is the same manuever some countries  do to gain favorable results.  In one international event in the  Middle East for instance, the host country naturalized a world-class Kenyan runner who won the marathon.  Tolentino  should aso include this issue and limit participation of naturalized mercenaries, I mean athletes.  Speaking of naturalized athletes, the Philippines Kim Mangrobang, three-time triathlon champion, lost to naturalized Cambodian Margot Carabedian, a French triathlete, ranked 190th  in the world.  Mangrobang who defended her women’s duathlon title, clocked 1:07:24.  Carabedian, who timed 1:05:34, won seventh place in the World Juniors Championship in 2014.

Gold Medal Tally

Anyway, we would like to congratulate our Philippine Team for surpassing over gold medal haul of 52 in Hanoi by winning 58.  We sent a rather small contingent of 840 athletes compared to the 2,000 of eventual champion Vietnam, who also won last year.  The Cambodians who only won 9 gold medals in Hanoi, wound  up fourth despite manipulating the Games by limiting participation of other  nations in all events.  The Philippines swept the competition in obstacle course race, boxing, weightlifting, arnis and wrestling, although dropping to fifth from fourth in the Hanoi Games.

La Salle Lady Spikers

After five years, the De La Salle Lady Spikers are champs again when they dethroned National University  Lady Bulldogs in the UAAP Volleyball.  The Lady Spikers came from two sets down to take the next three.  It was La Salle’s 12th  title over-all.  Angel Canino was just unstoppable as she scored 19 points and eventually earned the Rookie- Most Valuable Players Award together with NU’s Mhicaela Belen.  Congratulations, Lady Spikers, Animo La Salle!

Notes: I’m The Boss

While in New York City, a talkative taxi driver was telling his story  “I Iove my job, I’m my own boss, nobody tells me what to do”.  As we approached a corner I said “Turn left!”