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Philippines, 25 Apr 2024 |
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THE QUEST FOR OLYMPIC GOLD GETS HARDER BUT WE PRAY FOR A GOD-GIVEN MOMENT OF TRIUMPH By Ronnie Nathanielsz PhilBoxing.com Sun, 08 May 2016  (From left to right) Sports5 Head, Ms. Patricia Bermudez-Hizon; IOC Represenatative to the Philippines, Ms. Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski; IOC Honorary Member, Mr. Franciso Elizalde and Olympic Qualifier (Table Tennis) Ian Lariba. The Philippines quest for its first Olympic gold medal, judging by the assessment of our sports leaders, is getting harder and harder and while millions of Filipinos will watch the extensive coverage of TV5, the Official Philippine Broadcaster of the Rio de Janiero Olympic Games and its many ancillary platforms programmed to provide the most formidable coverage of the Games, the question uppermost in the minds of sports fans is do we have a chance to win our first gold medal. We?ve come tantalizingly close in the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan and the 2006 Olympics in Atlanta when Anthony Villanueva lost a painful battle for gold in a controversial loss to Russia?s Stanislav Stepashkin in 1964 and tiny ?Onyok? Velasco who dropped a heartbreaker to Bulgaria?s strongly built Daniel Petrov in which the final tally of 19-6 in favor of the Bulgarian was hardly reflective of the closeness of the fight in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. So far we have two worthy representatives who have qualified for boxing competition in Rio 2016 while the president of the Alliance of Boxing Associations in the Philippines Ricky Vargas and executive director Ed Picson are hopeful that at least two more male boxers and talented female boxer Nesthy Petecio who was a victim of a bum decision in the last Asian Qualifying Championships in China where she lost to five-time world champion Mary Kom of India, will make it in either of the two remaining qualifiers in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. But while most Filipinos, banking on the history of being on the fringe of gold medal success in the Olympic Games, continue to hope for a breakthrough in Rio, especially if the international governing body AIBA ? the Alliance of International Boxing Associations is able to somehow push through with the idea of its President, Dr. Wu Kuo Ching, to allow professional boxers to compete in Rio. Now retired eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao has expressed his desire to compete in Rio should AIBA president Dr. Wu ching-kuo succeed in his desire to have professionals participate for the first time in the Olympics and in fact met with Pacquiao in Doha, Qatar and invited him to compete, offering Manny a wild card entry which would seed him directly into the actual competition without having to go through any of the qualifying tournaments. But while the ABAP has reserved a slot for Pacquiao in the event Dr. Wu is successful in his efforts to have the AIBA constitution amended in a special congress later this month to allow pros to compete in the Olympics and the International Olympic Committee gives its blessings to the plan, some of our top sports officials believe it?s an uphill battle. Philippine Olympic Committee first vice president Joey Romasanta in answer to a question by The Standard at the recent press conference hosted by TV 5, the Rio Olympics network, ?I don?t know how AIBA is going to do it because the qualifying rules were set two years ago and the current group of qualifiers will qualify under those rules. But then again AIBA is trying its best to make boxing as interesting as possible but I really don?t know how they are going to do it in terms of pro boxers qualifying.? Romasanta recalled that in 2008 when Pacquiao was flag bearer at the Beijing Olympics ?he intimidated to me he wanted to fight for the Philippines so we will win a gold medal. He even asked president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo permission but I told him while we?d like to thank you for your intention it's not allowed under the present rules and he asked me how pro basketball players can be there with respective sports allowing it. He made that much of a commitment to compete for the Philippines.? Romasanta hopes that in boxing ?the quest for gold succeeds. Our boxers have trained long and hard they have been fully supported by ABAP president Ricky Vargas.? They trained at the famed ALA Gym in Cebu, a hotbed of boxing, even as he expressed the hope that we can have more boxers both male and female qualify in the last two events in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. Romasanta expects two more qualifiers at the very least. ABAP executive director Ed Picson said that the father/trainer for five division world champion Nonito ?The Fi/lipino Flash? Donaire, ?Dodong? Donaire has agreed to help train our boxers and actually spent three days with them at the ALA Gym. Picson said they had some sparring sessions with former amateur and now unbeaten pro KJ Cataraja, world ranked super flyweight King Arthur Villanueva and big boy Dondon Sultan who is way past his prime. He said he?s ?very optimistic about the chances of Nesthy Petecio? which is shared by trainer Donaire and ALA?s trainer of the longest reigning Filipino world champion, WBO light flyweight king Donnie Nietes, Edmund Villamor. Petecio will be among three female boxers competing in the World Women?s Championships which begin on May 19 with Petecio, Josie Gabuco and Irish Magno set to leave on the 16th. Picson is hoping we can qualify two more boxers for the Rio Olympics. He admitted that while ABAP ?Aims for the maximum, winning a gold medal in Rio ?is going to be tough but the way our boxers are showing their determination and willingness to learn everything? including the inputs from Dodong Donaire, lifts the spirits. Ed noted that our boxers ?have courage and fierce determination? and that he is ?trying to build their confidence ? kick it up a notch including the skill level.? 
(L-R): Ms. Sienna G. Olaso, Cignal VP Head of Channels; Mr. Francisco Elizalde, IOC Honorary Member; Mr. Joey Romasanta,POC First VP; Olympic Qualifiers Kirstie Elaine Alora (Taekondo) and Ian Lariba (Table Tennis); Ms. Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski, IOC Representative to the Philippines and Ms. Patricia Bermudez-Hizon, Head of Sports5. Longtime IOC representative Frank Elizalde who has since relinquished his position which has seen the charming and articulate Mikee Cojuangco Jaworski, wife of the ?Living Legend? of Philippine basketball Robert Jaworski?s son ?Dudut? and daughter of POC president Jose ?Peping? Cojuangco succeed him made it clear he is ?not against professionals participating from other sports but they compete in the course of the entire year while in boxing there is a total division between amateurs and pros in boxing.? He also maintained ?this is like changing the rules in the middle of the game. You have to get the pros into it when you have some poor guy trying to qualify by participating in some many tournaments etc then all of a sudden they throw a world champ in there. It's like going to a party.? Elizalde also pointed out that for Pacquiao, the Rio Olympics Games ?this will be it.? He believes that while ?I can see them changing the rules and setting up a tournament for qualification in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, Manny will be barred because of his age because the age limit is 40 and Manny he will be over 40 at the time of the Tokyo Olympics.? Elizalde, like most Filipinos said ?I?d love to have him there. The president of AIBA loves the idea because he sees all the alphabet soup type pro groups that are ridiculous.? Referring to a recent clash for the vacant Continental Americas super featherweight title between undefeated Australian Paul Fleming and Mexico?s Miguel Angel Gonzalez in Cebu City, Elizalde took a verbal jab stating ?Imagine this Mexican and Australian fighting for the north America super bantamweight championship or some sort of ridiculous thing. Pro boxing is a joke but that being said I?d love to have Manny there. Dr. Wu would love to have him there. Let him figure it out.? Mikee Cojuangco Jaworski provided a different and refreshing insight into the issue of an Olympic gold where most Filipinos are convinced that boxing gives us the best chance. When we referred to her stunning ? and unexpected gold medal victory in the final event in the equestrian competition at the Asian Games when ?nobody gave us a chance? and mentioned the glorious sight etched in our individual and collective memories of her galloping around on her horse with a large Philippine flag held in her right hand, fluttering in the breeze with a smile etched across here face, Mikee told us ?It really was a God-given moment. As an athlete we know how hard we work towards a gold. We work tirelessly, sacrificing a lot of things when we are competing. We bring everything ? everything else is a blessing. Is it my time? Am I doing and giving enough? Is that enough to win the prize? Our athletes who have qualified will taste this kind of victory. We try to support them to get to the standard that they can also achieve victory in the Olympics. I am praying for them to have this kind of success. Definitely we hope we have many more God-given moments in Rio.? To Mikee ?no matter how dedicated and serious you are as an athlete what really matters is the attitude behind it which is what we are trying to spread. What I can say is that as human beings we always have to strive to get better and better. For all our athletes who have already qualified for the Olympics we ask them to elevate their game at this point because we don?t want to have an attitude of going into the Olympics saying we have arrived here so we are okay. That?s not the point. That is why we try to give a lot of importance to the athletes. That?s why we are here to try to get everybody excited about the Olympic Games? even as she pointed out that ?a lot of the performance will come from the support that we show them and give them.? She also believes that ?To specify and say a gold medal may come from this specific sport (in reference to boxing) in my very own personal experience would be unfair because no one would have ever thought of me as a possible gold medalist in the Asian Games and yet it came. Even I was surprised but it happened. We want our athletes on their journey to Rio with that mindset and in their hearts knowing that if they give their all they can be the first Filipino gold medalist.? To the head of TV 5 Sports, the talented and hard-working Patricia Bermudez Hizon, she and her colleagues inspired by the leadership of the eminent businessman-sportsman and legendary supporter of Philippine Sports Manny Pangilinan, feel ?absolutely honored to be the Olympic network? which will focus on ?the value of sports, carrying the country?s colors? and indicated their idea to ?teach values of pushing sports in the service of humanity? pointing out that ?when there is so much confusion in the world and sometimes violence that happens in different corners of the world you have to push the values of Olympism.? Hizon remarked ?we are also set to inspire the nation to support our athletes who will be fighting for that elusive gold medal. Our commitment shows value of sports as part of nation building? which has been a constant theme of Manny Pangilinan. The TV 5 broadcast hopes ?to teach the values of Olympism. What?s good about being excellent in sports.? Patricia announced there will be ?16 hours of coverage on free TV alone, daily? alongside Akyson TV and Cignal whose vast reach will bring the Olympic telecast to the farthest corners of our country. To her, Sports 5 ?is no stranger to broadcasting major sports events. We really try to work with the right people.? She cited Mikee Cojuangco Jaworski who ?has helped us educate people because our role is not just to cover the games but to make our people watch and learn and expand their knowledge about the athletes and their mission to reach out to all corners of the country? in teaching the values of Olympism, informing people about our athletes, the Olympics and the games and to unify the country behind the quest for gold.? However, that quest is becoming increasingly more difficult to accomplish as Joey Romasanta pointed out, ?what we have experienced is, it's getting more difficult to make it to the Olympics. Bar is so high. We need to keep up with the developments.? He hopes ?to have more than 11 qualifiers? and particularly ?very happy and surprised to have new faces such as those in table tennis and taekwondo. Everybody was surprised compared to how it was before.? Kirstie Alora who won a silver medal at the recent Asian Taekwondo Championships and qualified for the Olympics in the 67 kilogram category is quietly confident of at least winning a medal in Rio. The 26 year old who looks much younger said while wining a gold medal in Rio ?is most difficult. It's even because of electronic armor? which records the point-making contacts. In a conversation with The Standard, Alora said ?my target is to win a medal. I?m not going for the sake of going to the Olympics so I am targeting a medal.? She said the ?most competitive opponents are from South Korea and China although in the last Olympics, (London 2012) the gold medal winner in my weight category was from Serbia.? Her dedication is translated into training three times a day while her key to winning a medal is ?to focus in training more on speed and stamina because this is what I need because of my height my opponents have an advantage.? Her game-plan is simple. ?If I engage at once then it?s a good chance to earn a point. This is my first time. I?ll try my best. I don?t know whether this will be my last or I?ll have a second chance. I?m 26 years old but I?m trying to get a medal where there are, according to my coaches, 16 entries in my category.? Her philosophy just like her demeanor reflects a certain welcome simplicity as she says ?Don?t think just enjoy the moment. I was surprised to qualify I engaged the No. 1 and I helped earn the ticket.? Alora is grateful for the support from the Philippine Sports Commission, the Philippine Olympic Committee, her National Sports Association, PLDT and Smart who are two of the major sponsors of the Olympic coverage. She won?t train outside the country ?for fear of injuries? stating that she ?spars with men? and is set on scheduling training three times a day. Alora is concentrating on what she says are ?turning kicks which are worth 3 points as well as simple kicks? which will hopefully help her earn a coveted Olympic medal, no matter what the hue. An even bigger surprise was the achievement of UAAP table tennis standout Ian ?Yan Yan? Lariba of La Salle who earned what was described as ?a golden ticket? to Rio when she nailed the last slot in the Asia Olympic Qualifiers in Hong Kong and wrote her name into the history of Philippine Olympic competition as the very first Filipino Olympian in table tennis. Significantly, Lariba?s success came just hours after fellow La Sallian Alora booked her ticket to Rio with a courageous silver medal finish in the Asian qualifiers held in Manila. To her ?qualifying for the Olympics is really a privilege and an honor which is slowly sinking in.? The 22 year old clinched the final Olympic slot with victory in a do-or-die match against Indonesia?s Lilis Indriani winning handily in straight sets 11-6, 11-2, 11-8 and 11-5.? Lariba says ?it's all about attitude and character, particularly in training. All the victories and trophies will not come if you do not value a good work ethic.? To her ?you simply have to demonstrate determination and perseverance.? Lariba welcomes this unique opportunity to show the world that in table tennis, the Philippines ?can be competitive.? Unquestionably, the Olympic fever will resonate when the Fiba Qualifying tournament in basketball opens at the Mall of Asia Arena because no matter what the disadvantages in height and heft, the innate skill and fighting heart of the Filipino has seen success in recent years under a well-thought-out and meticulously planned development program under the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas under its president MVP and hard-working executive director Renauld ?Sonny? Barrios, the former PBA Commissioner. While basketball is deeply embedded in the hearts of Filipinos, driven by an unbridled passion for the sport. Elizalde recognizes we have ?a very difficult task in the Manila qualifying tournament.? He remarked that ?we are just another ambitious team that never quite made it since the 1972 Munich Olympics? and with ?more and more countries competing, it's like a United Nations type.? Elizalde made it clear that ?in recent years we seem to be making a comeback. We have some problems with some players not being eligible but I think though, we have a good program. I think we can put up a competitive team. I?m very happy we gained one of the 3 qualifying slots for the final qualifier to make it to the Olympics. It gives you some kind of an edge? as it did in the last FIBA Asia World Cup qualifiers held in Manila when the Gilas Pilipinas team led by coach Chot Reys answered the collective cry of a nation and made it to the World Cup in Spain by finishing second to mighty Iran in a fiercely competitive tournament where even China failed to make it. Obviously, as Frank Elizalde says ?the biggest problem is France? who are rated No. 3 in the world rankings of Fiba behind the United States and Spain and have several NBA players in their roster. But Elizalde, like millions of Filipinos believes that ?if we can get by France we have a shot at qualifying- who knows!? Should we make it to the Rio Olympics ?it will be very hard but at least against other Asian and South American teams we can make it? but against countries like the United States and Spain we can forget it. Whatever it is Elizalde told us ?I see things positively. We are on the right track. Just to make it to the Olympics ? good luck to our boys. We will put up an honorable and competitive team.? TV 5 is the host broadcaster for the qualifying tournament and according to Patricia Bermudez Hizon it also means ?we are actually the ones who are producing and sending that feed to the rest of the world. With MVPs vision of helping sports particularly basketball we are doing our best to support our Gilas national team.? She claimed ?we didn?t anticipate the clamor and the response for tickets not just to support Gilas but to watch some 20 NBA players in center stage. It's just seeing Gilas push themselves to the limit and showcase what they are made of. We are doing our best to make sure the coverage will be world class. Apart from being broadcasters from production, technical and talents TV 5 will be part of the team that will be covering the games for broadcast by several Asian countries. It?s a truly challenging task for us? but the lady is confident ?we can get in a zone and do our best? which is the most a discerning public can ask for. Sienna Olaso who is in charge of the Cignal TV Olympic and Fiba qualifiers programming enumerated details of the telecast layout. Initially Sienna said they are preparing for it to be a success because knowing her as we do, anything below that would be unacceptable. For the Olympics Cignal will be the official pay per view broadcaster on two channels. Hyper and Hyper HD will, according to Olaso ?carry basketball and volleyball while two other channels Rio 1 will telecast athletics and aquatic sports and Rio 2-boxing, wrestling and other contact sports. According to Sienna Olaso ?Cignal has a very affordable prepaid, postpaid offer for as low as P100 load. She concedes ?It's already a big task to give subscribers fresh news? which will be done by a production team headed by one of the best television directors and producers in Asia, Pedrito ?Dong? Capinpuyan who, we gather, will be assisted by the widely experienced Edgar Reyes who for years was part of the NBN 4 team that covered several Olympic, Asian and Southeast Asian Games. TV 5 will have dedicated teams doing stories around the athletes and help share in what hopefully will be their triumphs. As Mikee Cojuangco Jaworski said we hope the Philippines will enjoy more God-given moments. It is something Filipinos devoutly wish for. Whatever it is the Olympic network TV 5 will mirror the triumphs and even the heartbreaks and anguish of our country?s quest for the first elusive Olympic gold medal. And that should be most welcome. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.  |
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