There are going to be several major sporting events in 2013, and as usual, controversy will not be far behind. Which of next year?s headlines will bear the angle of controversy?
Putting all the ?lucky punch? nonsense aside, unless there is another stunning knockout either way, the fifth bout between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez will carry its share of controversy. Fans will show a little trepidation in betting on former WBO champ Pacquiao, while questions regarding what possible substances Dinamita used will surely surface. Whatever happens, it is almost a sure thing that Pacquiao-Marquez V will not be their last tussle, even if Marquez has the flexibility to retire at any time now.
The 2013 Southeast Asian Games to be held in three locations in Myanmar will be another grand opportunity for our athletes to succeed famously or fail tremendously. With countries like Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia doing well in recent events like ASEAN schools championships, followers of our national teams are getting anxious. Traditionally, there are old standby winners like basketball, taekwondo and others, but how will we perform overall?
There haven?t been many reports on how our athletes are training, what with the prioritization of recent calamities in the south, and even the Philippine Olympic Committee elections. The pivotal question is how individual sports that bring in medals by the volume (athletics, swimming, martial arts) will do. The last time the country performed outstandingly well was in the Philippine edition of the SEA Games in 2005. Since then, our sports have individually and collectively been mired in sporadic infighting, politics and economic challenges.
One of the biggest controversies to expect in 2013 will be the escalation of contradictory opinions regarding the supplement C9-T11, which is currently all the rage in the United States. The compound, derived from a rare African herb, has been shown to increase muscle growth by up to 200 percent and lean muscle growth by up to 700 percent. Obviously, no long-term studies have been done on this ingestible, and some nutritionists are questioning the incredible gains attained by amateur and professional athletes who pioneered its use.
The supplement was supposedly used by Juan Manuel Marquez in his conquest of Manny Pacquiao, so that in itself will add color to the debate not just on its efficacy, but its long-term effects and even legality. As of now, it is classified as a food, similar to vitamin and mineral tablets and capsules. It became widely distributed in the US this month. Sportshub ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
The rebuilding of the Union Cycliste Internationale (International Cycling Union) will be a very close and probably harsh scrutiny by the media in 2013. In November, the sport?s world governing body asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to nominate candidates for three-man panel to investigate the doping scandal which has irreversibly tainted seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong?s life and career. But that turned out to be just the tip of the iceberg, as information gradually surfaced that a majority of podium finishers over the past few years were also suspect. Because of this debacle, the Union has declared that the records will show no Tour de France winner from 1999 to 2005.
Where will the sport start to rebuild? How do they get back the faith and trust of sponsors, spectators and the media? Because of the widespread suspicion of the use of banned substances, who will become the new heroes of cycling, and won?t they be suspect, as well? If future races bear slower times than in the past, is that a confirmation that the elite cyclists were one in cheating? So many questions have no answers at this point in time.
As always, there will be changes in Formula One rules starting next year, as well. Aside from curfew extensions and limits on the use of the Drag Reduction System to designated areas, the minimum weight of the cars themselves will be increased to compensate for the heavier tires. Also, the FIA will conduct stricter front wing deflection tests to avoid teams improving their aerodynamics by using flexible bodywork. These changes were announced after a World Moto Sports Council (WMSC) meeting earlier this month.
