FAITH and vision are two powerful instruments in an individual’s life or, in collective terms, the life of a nation.
Our country, for all its shortcomings, has had men—and women—who have demonstrated these wonderful traits many times in the past and have, by their leadership, galvanized a people in support of what they strive to achieve.
In the world of sports, there were men, who like the late Grand Old Man of boxing, Lope “Papa” Sarreal, had the vision to take Gabriel “Flash” Elorde in his prime to Japan, there to carve a name for himself as a fighter but even more as a decent human being, who Japanese fight fans came to respect and adore.
If not for Papa Sarreal’s vision of a world championship and his abiding faith in Elorde, we would probably never have had a world champion, who reigned as junior lightweight king for almost seven-and-a-half years and was later enshrined in the Boxing Hall of Fame.
In more recent times, we had Rod Nazario who, despite the fears of many that Manny Pacquiao didn’t stand much of a chance against the crafty and scientific International Boxing Federation junior featherweight champion Lelohonolo Ledwaba matched him against the South African on a mere two weeks notice. Together with promoter Murad Muhammad and Pacquiao himself, they formed a troika of believers. The rest is part of recent boxing history.
Even when Pacquiao was matched against legendary Mexican “The Baby-Faced Assassin” Marco Antonio Barrera, there were well-known boxing experts, who predicted there was no way Pacquiao could win. Not only did he win, he demolished Barrera and they had to eat their words.
In 1975, President Ferdinand Marcos wanted to prove to the world that his martial rule regime was doing well. That there was peace and order, the economy was doing well and people were not against him. Marcos convinced promoters Don King and Bob Arum to bring the now famous “Thrilla in Manila” between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier to the Philippines. It was then—and is even today—indelibly etched in the minds of fight fans around the world and Filipinos who took pride in the fact that it was staged in Manila.
Today, the chairman of the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines, longtime friend and a colleague in many ways and in different times, Yen Makabenta, has shown the vision, the faith and more than a fair share of courage to stage the most prestigious pool event in the world—the World Pool Championships—at the beautiful Philippine International Convention Center in Manila.
Together with the consummate promotions guru Barry Hearn and American journalist/TV personality Ted Lerner, who wore out the soles of his shoes knocking on doors to sell his idea to prospective sponsors are on the threshold of a momentous event.
Filipinos love pool along with basketball and boxing with unbelievable passion. We trust that this will translate into total support of this venture both by presence at the venue, the traditional hospitality to our visitors and a demonstration of pride in what Filipinos are capable of achieving. It’s a chance to showcase our country and to provide a true picture of the quality and character of the Filipino, far removed from what the foreign media often portray in a continuing injustice to our nation.
We should all, without exception, reward men of vision and faith, with our own belief in our ability to host an event of this magnitude with the style and flair Filipinos are known for. If a Filipino wins the WPC, it’s an added bonus. If they don’t, the event itself must go down in history as another remarkable achievement in the world of sports in a country of men and women, who live by the values and virtues of sportsmen even as it must stand as a testament to the vision and faith of good men in our midst.
