Team PH girds for ‘Aftermath Games’

The Philippine team in the Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian Games isn’t likely to win the predicted 50 gold medals but will go home with just a handful to be proud of and learn from. Even those who will return empty handed have learned a thing or two.

In a few disciplines, the country remained as the athlete or team to beat. In basketball, the talent edge still belongs to the Filipinos, but you can tell from this edition of the competition that the rest of the field is beginning to get better.

Talented naturalized players and foreign coaching have made teams like Thailand, Indonesia and even once-ignored Singapore more competitive. Regular participation in the Asean Basketball League (ABL) has helped as well. What these countries lack in skill they compensate with teamwork and at times, physical play.

The contrast is in women’s volleyball where a collective effort to come up with the best possible team ended up short. Not for lack of passion or heart but simply because the opposition has completely turned the event around in their favor. Thailand runs the show, just as the Philippines is the king of men’s basketball.

The Philippines once dominated this event but local organizational differences affected subsequent participation. A lot of catching up has to be done like exposing players to higher levels of play in the region and elsewhere in the world.

The game’s current stars are undoubtedly talented but it’s so hard to beat teams that have systems strengthened with constant international exposure and competition.

The teams in boxing, athletics and triathlon also had their shares of golden glory but their handlers know that so much more has to be done to build on the SEA Games victories to be excellent as well in the Asian Games and Olympics.

So the “Aftermath Games” will soon begin where some serious evaluations have to be made about the Philippine performance. For one, the rest of the region is just as passionate about winning and improving for higher-level competitions.

We cannot respond by just complaining, bickering and blaming about what we failed to do or comfortably rest on the laurels of our golden finishes.