SEA Games - another debacle for RP?

[batang uliran]

After the first few days of the SEA games, we are a poor fifth way behind Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Our showing I think has progressively worsened and it's too bad we have to rely on billiards and taekwondo to bail us out! Whatever happened to track and boxing? What can be done to improve our dismal showing so we don't get humiliated when we host the games in the future?

[Kaboom!]

The main problem is still politics. The country just cannot learn from its past mistakes and the blame shifting repeats every two years or in the case of the Asian Games, every 4 years.

Our delegation had 68 women athletes that competed or competing. Our delegation had 67 officials that watched the athletes compete. Of course we won't do well if all we send are officials. Last SEA games, the complaint was that the officials used the event to party and sightsee around using government money... Now looks like the same thing will happen with even more disastrous results.

The POC finally resolved their power hungry internal issues and now they're pointing the blame on the PSC for not giving enough funding.

I've talked to the former Nat'l Bowling coach (who quit) and he is so frustrated with team officials. He had some very interesting stories which I'll save for a later post maybe after the medal count is official. Looks like we'll be fifth even behind Singapore. Sad.

Peace.

[seven]

kailangan talagang i-stop yung politika sa sports. we miss so many opportunities because the people who handles and organizes our sporting involvements, eh may kanya-kanyang inaalagaang...i don't know. player, kabit, kumpadre...tapos kanya-kanyang kurakot. kaya ayaw nilang umalis sa mga positions nila kasi its a very lucrative career. tamo, di lang politics, showbiz na rin. with richard gomez, i really don't think he's an able man to handle the job given to him. he could not even handle his attitude sa star olympics, which is part of a real athletes biology: physical, mental and PSYCHOLOGICAL toughness and discipline. wala non yung mga officials na nagha-handle ng sports.

[Kaboom!]

In 1991, we were able to garner over 90 gold medals.

In 1999, the POC officials will be relieved to have reached 20 golds.

Actually, Singapore officially overtook us as the Philippines ended up in 5th place with 19 gold medals, only 2 more than Vietnam, who is now also a threat. If you ask me, the only threat are our greedy officials who pretend to care for national sports.

Boy how far we have fallen...
It's time to blame shift again instead of trying to find solutions. Don't worry there will be no more blame shifting until the 2001 SEA games.

Peace.

[This message has been edited by Kaboom! (edited 08-16-1999).]

[batang uliran]

Kaboom:

To be fair, many more medals were contested in 1991 so the fall in our gold medal tally is not that precipitous. However, it is very concerning that Singapore has now overtaken us considering it is a much smaller country. We should be up there with Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. As it is, Singapore is better and we barely made it past Vietnam. We can't even clean up in boxing where we are supposedly among the best in Asia, not just in SEA! Even our bowlers have become mediocre in the region. What is happening?!

[Kaboom!]

OK, I had reservations of posting this but here's what I think.

Based on first hand information during last year's Asian Games, boxers who trained outside the country (Cuba) were not allowed to go back to the Philippines to rest and were flown straight to the venues from where they trained. This was to save money on the airfare. Boxers have complained from fatigue because of this and this can be a reason for their dismal performances in the SEA and Asian games.

During the Asian Games, the officials took away the $200 stipend from the golfers (on the first tee of all places!) after finding out that they paid for their own plane fair. They said that if they can afford to pay for their tickets, they don't need the allowance anymore.

The bowlers weren't given extra money for food since they were expected to eat at the athletes village which was over an hour away. The teams couldn't eat since they had to leave for the site earlier and arrived later than when the food was served. The coach gave them canned food because he thought that if officials saw that they can afford to eat out, they would also take away their allowance.

Only the basketball team is really assured of full financial support from the country.

Ryan Papa, our most bemedalled swimmer the last couple of SEA games, quit because the NSA was not willing to support his training since they claimed he can afford it already.

It seems that most of the money has gone to duds like David Bunevacz who created quite a controversy with his fellow national athletes a few years back when he was guaranteed (and paid) hundreds of thousands a month compared to about 5000 which the others get.

I hate to sound bitter about this but I've heard too many stories from too many athletes, many of who are my friends and I really feel for some of them. It really seems like it's not worth it representing the country unless you're a basketball player.

Peace.

[ann]

Kaboom!: re ur: "Only the basketball team is really assured of full financial support from the country." and "It really seems like it's not worth it representing the country unless you're a basketball player."

all the sea games basketball team got was $200 each ... and they relied heavily on the filipino community for a break from the curried food ... then our ambassador to brunei, philippe lhuillier [also team owner of the cebu gems] hosted dinner in their honor pero after they won the gold na ... what made it worthwhile daw was the support of the ppl

[Kaboom!]

ann,

When I said the "country", I didn't mean the government. The Centennial Team probably never got paid by the Philippine goverment for representing them in the Asian Games but there were many other "sponsors" who paid for their plane fares, food, accomodations, etc. There are just more people (mostly the private sector) who are willing to support basketball teams rather than athletics or football.

So much money is pourned into basketball that it's not hard to find someone to support a team outside of the government stipend. More people pay attention to these guys during these international events.

At least each player still got his $200, not like to golfers who had to give theirs back.

Maybe the solution is to get more sponsors to care more for the other sports (like Caltex for boxing) so that these athletes can feel supported.

Peace.

[theo78]

kahit host tayo...mukhang pessimistic tayo for this year, hirap kumuha ng sponsors!
yung sa pencak...may ilang potential gold winners, nag-TNT sa europe...sa basketball, naalarma tayo

gosh, when will this end

[James Chris]

laging kulang tayo sa budget.... kung may pera lang ang Pinas edi mas malaking tulong...

[ann]

six years later ...
when will they ever learn? where have all the flowers gone?

[4q!]

no hope

[unashamedusher]

you might want to consider what other countries in southeast asia have to say about the SEA games....

so, the SEA games will be held in Manila, Subic, Cebu, and Bacolod. any reactions? competing on home turf should be able to at least give a confidence boost to all the athletes regardless of financial support... i just hope that there will be enough moral support come late november.

[rolypoly]

Its only a debacle if they were projected to be the best but flopped big time.
If they performed as expected, then they are the what you call "maybe next time" type of athletes.

Did I hear anybody say "Amen".

[jimboy]

kahit host tayo...mukhang pessimistic tayo for this year, hirap kumuha ng sponsors!
yung sa pencak...may ilang potential gold winners, nag-TNT sa europe...sa basketball, naalarma tayo

gosh, when will this end

theo, sinong tinutukoy mo na potential gold sa pencak na nag-tnt? is it chris yabut?

[theo78]

yup...that's so...oh well...

[jimboy]

yup...that's so...oh well...

What???? How is that so. Details please.

[theo78]

ah, correction: hindi si christopher yabut...sorry! basta may 1 doon, gold medal potential...

[jimboy]

theo details please. how did this happen? may competition ba sa europe (belgium)?