By the numbers.
Sixteen reasons (the number of athletes who won a total of 3 gold, 4 silver, and 9 bronze medals) to smile about and 169 reasons (the other athletes) to seriously contemplate upon.
This is one way to sum up the Philippine Team's performance in the just concluded 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China last November 12 to 27.
Another way of summing it up is by subtraction. Deduct our latest medal output from the total of 19 - consisting of 4 gold, 6 silver, and 9 bronze - we won in the Doha Asiad in 2006.
This time we earned 1 gold and 2 silver less. We also ranked one rung lower, in Asia from 18th to 19th and among Southeast Asian nations from 4th to 5th.
Yay.
* * *
Four short months.
For a nation that lets the proverbial Big Fish get away with murder, this article will do likewise and yes, let the Big Fish swim away with killing our 2010 Asian Games aspirations – but without sparing a few snide remarks.
It was only last July when Richie Garcia was appointed chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). In other words, it was only barely four months hence when Chairman Garcia began rebuilding upon the destruction wrought by his predecessor in the government sports agency.
It has only been for four short months that Philippine sports enjoyed the current smooth working relationship between the PSC and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) headed by its president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, Jr.
And four short months evidently did not suffice to cram and complete any program that would have enhanced the Philippine Team's performance in last November's Asiad, amid the ruin and debris.
As for the identity of the ruinous Big Fish and the specific crimes he committed against Philippine sports, let's just say that indeed we are a nation that lets his kind get away with murder.
* * *
Four or more or less?
The POC and the PSC were in a bind.
Still reeling from the shockwaves brought by the Big Fish and under time pressure, they had to project an understandably modest gold medal harvest for this year's Asiad.
Modest but with the Filipino sports community and general public in mind, it can not be less than that of the previous Asiad in Doha – lest they become subject to public ridicule for making a projection geared towards a regression.
So four was the dream and magic number; it will be the same as the four gold medals won in 2006.
We ended up with “only” three this time. But with all the travails the Pinoy sports community had to go through and in lieu of divine intervention, winning three gold medals was already a remarkable feat.
* * *
Those tired cliches and lessons one and two.
“Eye-opener?” “Wake up call?”
Quit the cliches. At best the recent Asiad served as just another grim reminder that we should heed the following lessons which we knew all along:
Lesson No. 1: Our elite athletes, especially in sports that are playing catch – up to world class status, should benefit from long-term training programs in foreign countries which are renowned powerhouses in the sports concerned.
Lesson No. 2: Expand the grassroots until it reaches a critical and sustainable mass base or pool from which we can continuously recruit and train potential athletes.
Yes, we get it. Now where's the money?
* * *
The chicken or the egg?
Which comes first, the gold bullion or the gold medal?
For the less successful national sports associations (NSAs), Asiad wise, it will be another case of “which comes first, the chicken or the egg?”
Sponsor: “Show me the results and I'll show you the money.”
NSA: “Show us the money, we'll spend it for our athletes' training program, nutritional needs, etc., and then we'll show you the results.”
Sponsor: “Well, you've just failed and it makes me reluctant to shell out money for your program.”
NSA: “But we will fail again big time next time if you don't show us the money.”
Ad nauseam.
Sponsor: “By the way, do you really spend sponsorship money for your athletes? Do you account for it honestly and transparently?”
NSA: “I think that's getting ahead of the story sir. Just the same, we can assure you that we will be as honest and transparent as you are in your own business dealings (whatever that means).”
And so it goes.
* * *
The Asiad is as tough as tough can be.
Friendly reminder: In many sports events, the competitive level of the Asian Games rivals that of the Olympic Games.
Want to know the competition background of the recent Asian Games medalists in its Olympic sports events?
Surf the web and look 'em up.
* * *
The breaks of the game broke us down...and one of us literally suffered from a broken neck.
Now for my personal experiences as team manager of the Philippine wrestling team.
The game commences at the preparation stage so to speak, even way before the actual playing of the game, during the competition proper itself.
That being the case, the Philippine wrestling team has long been crippled going into this year's Asiad.
First, SEA Games gold medalist in freestyle, 84 kilogram category Jason Balabal entered the Philippine Navy as a candidate soldier last June.
A candidate soldier of the Philippine Navy is required to train a minimum of six months straight inside barracks to become a full fledged soldier – and with no exceptions. As a consequence, he was no longer able to train and much less join the Asiad last November.
We can't blame the young man: a soldier–athlete enjoys steadier job security and benefits than a “stand–alone” athlete. We are confident that he'll be back on the mat next year when he is already a regular soldier and can train with the Philippine team as duly requested by the PSC.
Secondly, our other SEA Games gold medalist in Greco-Roman 55 kilograms Margarito Angana, Jr. suffered a spinal injury, a herniated disc in the neck. He got injured last October 8 during sparring in his training in Sofia, Bulgaria.
“Incidentally” Margarito - who didn't let a single opponent score even a single point against him during last year's SEA Games - was our top bet for winning a medal in the Asiad.
Finally we were down with only one of our three SEA Games gold medalists in Margarito's eldest brother Jimmy Angana, our official entry in freestyle 66 kilograms. The veteran and battle-worn Jimmy, along with two other freestyle wrestlers, fought valiantly but did not go home with a medal.
Due to the unfortunate circumstances, the Philippine wrestling team that saw action in the regional 2009 SEA Games was stronger than the one that competed in the continental 2010 Asian Games.
Nevertheless, our deepest gratitude goes to our sponsor in the POC who made Margarito and Jimmy's three-month training in Bulgaria possible and to SMART Sports for their extra allowances and other valuable items.
We will rebound next year and qualify an athlete or two in the qualifying events for the 2012 London Olympics.
* * *
To hell with the closing ceremonies.
My team mates - coaches Jerry Faingason and Rodrigo Falsario, and athlete brothers Jimmy, Jerry, and Margarito Angana and Maribel Jambora (who also happens to be Jerry's fiance and a prospective Angana herself if plans don't go awry) - all swore on the splendor of the closing ceremonies held on the evening of November 27 at the Haixinsha Citizen Square.
The fireworks were impressive, Maribel gushed, and Korean pop superstar and Hollywood actor Rain sang during the closing rites.
I missed all of it, along with the opening ceremonies as our team arrived on the second week of the games.
I was too tired and depressed to join and revel in the farewell festivities.
Tired with traveling by train and walking through the sprawling commercial district of Guangzhou to purchase a pair of US$50.00 wrestling shoes that day, worn with the last minute shopping at the International Zone inside the Athletes Village.
Depressed that the whole Philippine Team contingent fell a gold medal short of its four gold medal target, crushed that our wrestling team did not contribute for the 56th year straight. (The Philippines' last wrestling medal in the Asiad was a silver, won way back in 1954 when Manila hosted the quadrennial games.)
I slept all alone through the closing ceremonies inside my room in our 12 storey high residential apartment in the middle of the Athletes Village.
Why see and hear Rain? It was already raining in my bedroom.
* * *
Goodbye free McDo.
Another thing I missed was the free McDonald's meals provided to us in the Main Dining Hall, 24/ 7!
I promised myself that I would avail of the meals only if our wrestlers won a medal.
That said, I spent my one week stay expanding my waistline on East Asian, Southeast Asian, Subcontinental, Muslim, European Continental, and Bicolano cuisines.
Besides we're not wanting for McDo branches in Metro Manila, but I won't get free cheeseburger and fries unless I'm a guest in a children's party.
I was joking on the Bicolano cuisine.
* * *
Smile, Chris Tiu, tomorrow's another day.
'Twas the night of November 26th when I walked past Philippine basketball team captain Chris Tiu, sitting all alone on the foot high round concrete fence enclosing a raised bed garden just outside the souvenir shop of the International Center.
His facial expression said it all.
A few minutes later we were together by chance at the laundry, where he spoke with the attendants in Chinese.
We asked about each other's team's performance, in Filipino.
After a few minutes, we bid each other better luck next time, still in Filipino.
* * *
An artistic consolation.
As free souvenirs, all delegates could take home the "Picture Greetings," as our hosts entitled them, which were children's framed paintings adorning our bedroom walls in the residential apartments. Each painting came with a greeting card for each delegate.
In exchange, we wrote on the detachable page of each greeting card our feelings on the painting we would be taking home. We left our written messages with the receptionist of our respective apartment building upon departure.
Mine was brief, "It's beautiful."
It was addressed to 10 year old Chen Shi Yin, the creator of my abstract work of art (it looks abstract to me).
Someday, Chen Shi Yin could become an internationally renowned artist whose works pitch for hundreds of thousands of dollars apiece. Then I'll visit Sotheby's and end up with enough cash to spend for our athletes' training program, nutritional needs, etc.
And then we'll show you the results.
Another option is to sell this artwork in the future to any of our 16th Asian Games gold medalists: boxer Rey Saludar, billiards player Dennis Orcullo, or bowler Biboy Rivera. This is assuming they maintain their wealth and could afford disposable income years from now to buy Master Chen's little obra maestra.
But do or will they patronize art?
Well that's another story.
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