THE FIRST Filipino table tennis player in the Olympics may have lost without winning a set against her Congo-born opponent Han Xing but she fell trying as hard as she could to score a win.
Ian Lariba, the outstanding UAAP MVP from De La Salle University and the country’s flag bearer in the opening ceremony, stayed in step with a higher ranked opponent but committed too many unforced errors while taking risks and chances in ending up with a shortened Olympic schedule.
The same story happened to boxer Charly Suarez who fell victim to the oddities of amateur boxing scoring in losing to European champion Joe Cordina.
Reading the report of our man in Rio, Inquirer Sports editor Teddyvic Melendres, Suarez was the aggressor in the second and third rounds but did not get the nod of the judges.
Swimmer Jessie Lacuna also failed to qualify in his swimming event, trimming the Philippine team to 10 hopefuls still waiting for their scheduled events.
There’s no question that our sports officials in Rio will declare that the Filipino athletes gave it their very best against formidable odds in the Olympics.
Lariba, for instance, was clearly determined but could not sustain her momentum when she led in the second and third games of her battle against Han.
It was clear that both players came from similar training ranks in the way they served and played defense against each other’s smashes.
Han however capitalized on Lariba’s unforced miscues while the Filipino could not deliver on many chances when she had Han out of position.
Table tennis or ping pong is suited to the athletic ability and Filipino craving for fast-paced sports action. The TV cameras that were so properly positioned (and there’s a manual that all Olympic host broadcasters follow for every sport) around the tables were able to keep viewers aware of the ball even at a frenetic pace. The super slow-mo playbacks (the equipment of which costs a substantial amount) were also able to show the efforts of Lariba and Han to keep the ball in play.
If many Asian players (who are not necessarily that tall compared to those from the West) are able to compete at such high levels in the sport, Filipinos can definitely match up against them without having to worry about height or bulk. It’s just that experience matters so much in top-level competition and it’s clear that Han seemed to have more seasoning than the youthful Lariba. Han already competed in the 2012 London games.
Thus, this Olympic experience should be a boost to Lariba’s future efforts. If our sports infrastructure can continue to support her continued development then she and other table tennis players could be in more events like the Olympics.
Each Olympics should be an eye-opener for developing sports countries like the Philippines to see how they stand against the world’s best. It shouldn’t just be a time for finger pointing or blaming.
It should also be a time to discern where improvements can be made so that Filipino athletes can be trained better to complement their natural athletic skills and passion to compete for the country.