WITH two days to go, reports from the Carnival City seem to indicate that the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games are still not ready with still so much left to be done before the flame is lit in the opening ceremony.
But no modern-day Olympics, given the magnitude of what has to be settled, has ever been perfect, each one struggling to literally make competition venues, accommodations information access and other concerns satisfactory to the variety of nations and cultures that converge for the Games.
With everything that is happening in the world today, it is a major accomplishment for this quadrennial event to be still staged. The world is a different planet from the time Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin revived the celebration of sport in Athens in 1986. There is more to worry about—terrorism, performance-enhancing drugs, territorial disputes, and religious differences to just name a few that threaten each Olympiad.
But the Games live on and must continue.
The Games offer one of the few opportunities for this world to come together. Yes, there’s competition and bragging rights to worry about, especially among the superpowers. But at its core, the spirit of sportsmanship and fair play remains steadfast in a different world.
That’s why countries continue to participate and send athletes, regardless of chances of victory and delegation size. Being in the Olympics, the football World Cup or the basketball World Championships means you have achieved a level of competitive strength worthy to be tested.
That’s why the Philippines, with all its sports trials and difficulties, must continue to participate in these world events. The skeptics are quick to conclude that our chances of winning against the world’s best are both limited and none. But not participating at all is so defeatist and runs counter to the spirit of sports.
Reading a lot of Philippine sports history lately, I imagine the pride that Filipino Olympians of the past felt when they traveled long distances to compete for the country. I visualize the smiles and struggles of medal winners swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso, hurdler Miguel White, high jumper Simeon Toribio and boxers Jose and Anthony Villanueva, Leopoldo Serrantes, Roel and Mansueto Velasco when they were in step with the world’s best and came home with precious medals.
I think of the basketball teams that went to the Olympics, especially the 1936 team that finished fifth but lost only one game. The basketball world was young then and we were already good at the game.
You also sense the hearts of other Filipino Olympians bursting out of their chests as they walked in the opening parade and the athletes’ village. Not all of them finished as well as the previously mentioned Olympians but they were there. They defied all the stress of sports politics and often the lack of adequate financial support to represent the country at the biggest sports event.
We are not a perfect sporting nation but we do love to participate and compete. Along the way, we discuss, disagree and even bicker about what should be done. As long as the athletes are not left out in the cold, then all the discussions are not entirely useless.
The Philippines in the Olympics matters because we are members of the family of nations. Our athletes have overcome many hurdles to represent all of us. To participate is the greatest thrill of sports and to not do so would deny Filipino athletes their dreams and the rest of this nation, the chance to hope and celebrate the joy of sports.