Fair Play: Do you remember?
DO YOU remember how Efren Reyes changed the world of pool when he won the World Pool Championships in 1999?
Do you remember how proud you were to be Pinoy?
Efren, that toothless, unassuming guy still called Bata who cried when got mobbed upon his return.
Do you remember, too, when Efren lost to Francisco Bustamante in the quarterfinals of the same tournament in 2002?
It was all over the news! The game was even carried, live, at half-past 12 midnight.
It’s mayhem in Manila, the talking TV heads, said. That match shouldn’t be a
quarterfinal, but the finals.
Do you remember how Django suffered in that tournament?
Learning his daughter had died, Django wanted to go home and be with his family. But he had a real chance at the world title, so he was persuaded to stay.
Do you remember seeing Efren serve Django that cup of coffee when he was facing brash Earl the Pearl Strickland in the finals?
Do you remember wishing for Lady Luck, for once, to smile on this hard-working Pinoy because he deserves that break?
Do you remember how you reacted when he didn’t get it? Oh how he tried to win, but he just couldn’t.
He was devastated. So were you.
Do you remember? Please do.
Do you remember too, Ralf Soquet getting cheered wildly by fans who chanted his name as the German broke down after his finals loss to Ronato Alcano? One magazine said it showed the kind of fans Pinoys are.
It even made an international magazine’s list of best sports stories that year.
Do you remember? Please do.
Do you remember Onyok Velasco in Atlanta 96? Did you, like millions of others, stay up for the 3 a.m. finals match?
We could smell the gold, we all said. And did you remember screaming, with the commentators, “WE ARE BEING ROBBED IN ATLANTA!”
It felt so good to be Pinoys. I think everybody started wearing their “Pinoy badge” those days.
Do you remember? Please do.
Do you remember the Southeast Asian Games in 2005? The one we hosted? Do you remember hearing some foreigner say we were a nation of cheats?
Do you remember your reaction?
Do you remember what happened?
We won!
And we didn’t cheat.
And darn, it feels so good to wear our country’s colors that day.
Do you remember Erik Morales vs. Manny Pacquiao 1? How everybody said Manny will surely win because he beat the guy who beat Erik?
Do you remember how you reacted when he lost?
Do you remember? Please do.
And do you remember Manny Pacquiao against Oscar dela Hoya? A lot of people, including
fellow Pinoys, said Manny couldn’t possibly win.
Do you remember telling your friends Manny will surely be knocked out senseless?
And do you remember, shouting yourself hoarse as Manny was proving you wrong? Manny, that Nike guy, exemplified Impossible is Nothing.
Do you remember? Please do.
It’s what we need.
We’re not a nation of losers.
Sure we failed, and miserably at that.
But please remember.
We’re Pinoys. Not a nation of losers.
You hear people say, “Naunsa naman ni ang Pilipinas.”
Let’s listen too, to, “Way imposible sa Pinoy.”
Yes, we failed. But we always bounce back. Look at Manny, Efren and Onyok.
Take a pause from all the bashing.
We will bounce back. We always do.
So, chin up, please.
Do you remember how proud you were to be Pinoy?
Efren, that toothless, unassuming guy still called Bata who cried when got mobbed upon his return.
Do you remember, too, when Efren lost to Francisco Bustamante in the quarterfinals of the same tournament in 2002?
It was all over the news! The game was even carried, live, at half-past 12 midnight.
It’s mayhem in Manila, the talking TV heads, said. That match shouldn’t be a
quarterfinal, but the finals.
Do you remember how Django suffered in that tournament?
Learning his daughter had died, Django wanted to go home and be with his family. But he had a real chance at the world title, so he was persuaded to stay.
Do you remember seeing Efren serve Django that cup of coffee when he was facing brash Earl the Pearl Strickland in the finals?
Do you remember wishing for Lady Luck, for once, to smile on this hard-working Pinoy because he deserves that break?
Do you remember how you reacted when he didn’t get it? Oh how he tried to win, but he just couldn’t.
He was devastated. So were you.
Do you remember? Please do.
Do you remember too, Ralf Soquet getting cheered wildly by fans who chanted his name as the German broke down after his finals loss to Ronato Alcano? One magazine said it showed the kind of fans Pinoys are.
It even made an international magazine’s list of best sports stories that year.
Do you remember? Please do.
Do you remember Onyok Velasco in Atlanta 96? Did you, like millions of others, stay up for the 3 a.m. finals match?
We could smell the gold, we all said. And did you remember screaming, with the commentators, “WE ARE BEING ROBBED IN ATLANTA!”
It felt so good to be Pinoys. I think everybody started wearing their “Pinoy badge” those days.
Do you remember? Please do.
Do you remember the Southeast Asian Games in 2005? The one we hosted? Do you remember hearing some foreigner say we were a nation of cheats?
Do you remember your reaction?
Do you remember what happened?
We won!
And we didn’t cheat.
And darn, it feels so good to wear our country’s colors that day.
Do you remember Erik Morales vs. Manny Pacquiao 1? How everybody said Manny will surely win because he beat the guy who beat Erik?
Do you remember how you reacted when he lost?
Do you remember? Please do.
And do you remember Manny Pacquiao against Oscar dela Hoya? A lot of people, including
fellow Pinoys, said Manny couldn’t possibly win.
Do you remember telling your friends Manny will surely be knocked out senseless?
And do you remember, shouting yourself hoarse as Manny was proving you wrong? Manny, that Nike guy, exemplified Impossible is Nothing.
Do you remember? Please do.
It’s what we need.
We’re not a nation of losers.
Sure we failed, and miserably at that.
But please remember.
We’re Pinoys. Not a nation of losers.
You hear people say, “Naunsa naman ni ang Pilipinas.”
Let’s listen too, to, “Way imposible sa Pinoy.”
Yes, we failed. But we always bounce back. Look at Manny, Efren and Onyok.
Take a pause from all the bashing.
We will bounce back. We always do.
So, chin up, please.
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