Fair Play: An icon for Philippine sports
I WONDER if the events of the past few days will have an effect on Philippine sports.
I wonder if the story of one woman’s courage and sacrifice will teach sports leaders a thing or two.
I wonder, if Pres. Cory had a thing or two to say to Philippine sports leaders, what would it be?
Would she tell them to work together? Or would she tell them that if you can’t work together, give way to people who could?
People are saying that today’s politicians should be more like President Aquino.
But sports leaders too, both local and national, can do well by taking a page from her book.
Some cling to power for life.
It is as if they lose their significance if they no longer are president of an NSA.
President Cory showed you don’t have to be in power, or to hold a position even, to make a difference in other people’s lives.
Sports leaders love to say how they are doing things because of their love of the game, while overlooking the fact that their infighting has hampered the growth of their sport.
Swimming, badminton, billiards come to mind.
They are just a few of the many.
These sports have factions so bitter that they have separate national teams, and in the case of billiards, when the best players of the world came to the Philippines, RP’s best boycotted the event.
What a wonderful facet to showcase to the world.
Benigno Aquino III said his mother showed, “Tama ang makialam.”
In the perennial war between BAP and SBP, the Cesafi hasn’t done that.
They are being neutral, they say.
But is it the time for being neutral?
Or is it the time to make a stand?
Is Cesafi’s silence a smart and calculated non-commitment?
Is it cowardice?
Or is it apathy?
A reflection of how bad things have become in basketball, that a group’s stakeholder no longer trusts its leaders—both the pro and anti?
Which is it? I wonder.
I was too young for Edsa 1 and too chemically imbalanced for Edsa 2, the past few days were my only chance of seeing the influence of one simple woman on a fractured country.
One woman,
One country.
United.
I wonder when will Philippine sports have a Tita Cory?
Will we ever have one? Do we need one?
Will we have a sports leader who will take the post, not because he or she lusts for it, but because she or he is needed?
In sports, we have become a country of “used to.”
We used to beat the Chinese in basketball.
We used to teach the Japanese, baseball.
We used to beat Japan in football.
We used to have Asia’s fastest woman.
We used to have one set of officers per NSA.
Now, we can’t beat China in basketball.
Japan’s players are in MLB and we don’t even belong to the same sentence with their football team.
Our sprinters are lucky just to advance from their heats.
And our NSA officers?
We’re lucky if they are seeing each other eye-to-eye.
Does Philippine sports need a Tita Cory?
You tell me.
I wonder if the story of one woman’s courage and sacrifice will teach sports leaders a thing or two.
I wonder, if Pres. Cory had a thing or two to say to Philippine sports leaders, what would it be?
Would she tell them to work together? Or would she tell them that if you can’t work together, give way to people who could?
People are saying that today’s politicians should be more like President Aquino.
But sports leaders too, both local and national, can do well by taking a page from her book.
Some cling to power for life.
It is as if they lose their significance if they no longer are president of an NSA.
President Cory showed you don’t have to be in power, or to hold a position even, to make a difference in other people’s lives.
Sports leaders love to say how they are doing things because of their love of the game, while overlooking the fact that their infighting has hampered the growth of their sport.
Swimming, badminton, billiards come to mind.
They are just a few of the many.
These sports have factions so bitter that they have separate national teams, and in the case of billiards, when the best players of the world came to the Philippines, RP’s best boycotted the event.
What a wonderful facet to showcase to the world.
Benigno Aquino III said his mother showed, “Tama ang makialam.”
In the perennial war between BAP and SBP, the Cesafi hasn’t done that.
They are being neutral, they say.
But is it the time for being neutral?
Or is it the time to make a stand?
Is Cesafi’s silence a smart and calculated non-commitment?
Is it cowardice?
Or is it apathy?
A reflection of how bad things have become in basketball, that a group’s stakeholder no longer trusts its leaders—both the pro and anti?
Which is it? I wonder.
I was too young for Edsa 1 and too chemically imbalanced for Edsa 2, the past few days were my only chance of seeing the influence of one simple woman on a fractured country.
One woman,
One country.
United.
I wonder when will Philippine sports have a Tita Cory?
Will we ever have one? Do we need one?
Will we have a sports leader who will take the post, not because he or she lusts for it, but because she or he is needed?
In sports, we have become a country of “used to.”
We used to beat the Chinese in basketball.
We used to teach the Japanese, baseball.
We used to beat Japan in football.
We used to have Asia’s fastest woman.
We used to have one set of officers per NSA.
Now, we can’t beat China in basketball.
Japan’s players are in MLB and we don’t even belong to the same sentence with their football team.
Our sprinters are lucky just to advance from their heats.
And our NSA officers?
We’re lucky if they are seeing each other eye-to-eye.
Does Philippine sports need a Tita Cory?
You tell me.
Comments
so true Mike!
hopefully in our lifetime, maayo unta. this is a very rare trait but i'm sure our society can still produce the likes of Ninoy and Cory. they both have a secret and that is the complete trust in God in a life of prayer.
now a days love of country may no longer be enough to move against the CROWD and make a difference. a life of prayer and complete trust in GOD was perfectly exemplified by our dear Cory Aquino. and she survived the CROWD and what a difference she's made.
ikaw Mike, tig ampo ka? peace!