Looking Back: Pres. Cory and the PSC
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 24 Jan 2011
Had President Corazon Aquino, acknowledged as the mother of Philippine Democracy for inspiring the unprecedented EDSA Revolution of 1986, been alive today, she would have turned 78.
As if by coincidence, yesterday happened to be the 21st anniversary of the Philippine Sports Commission, otherwise known as Rep. Act 6847, a law that led a renaissance of sports in this country.
Principally authored by then Congressman Victorico Chavez in the Lower House and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel in the Senate, the law was hailed as the best ever that happened to Philippine sports, which by then was believed to be in a state of dying.
The expected resurgence in sports was readily felt barely six months following the world-acclaimed bloodless revolt that catapulted the simple wife of the late Sen. Ninoy Aquino into the Presidency.
It was on September 20, 1986 during the colorful opening ceremony of the of the 10th Asian Games held in Seoul when the crowd of some 150,000 that filled to the rafters the Olympic Stadium accorded the tiny Philippine Delegation a standing ovation as it passed the Presidential Box during the march past, a rare sight in the gathering of that magnitude.
Knowing the gesture was more to a tribute to the new Chief of State, mother of President Noynoy, and an accolade to the Filipino people?s historic feat, members of the National Contingent from their highest officials to the athletes and coaches responded by waving to the crowd, made up which earlier in February of that year, witnessed how the Filipino nation freed itself from the claw of a dictator and installed its First Lady President.
The crowd returned the compliment by honoring the delegation with a thunderous applause that lasted until Team Philippines took its place at the center of the football field along with those of the other participating nations.
It marked the first international competition the Filipino athletes took part in under the watch of Tita Cory.
?Nakakapangilabot,? sprinter Lydia de Vega murmured to this writer after the extravagant inaugural rites as she was about to ride the bus that will take her and her teammates to the Athletes? Village.
Later in the actual competitions, De Vega would run triumphantly in the centerpiece event 100-meter beating arch-rival P.T. Usha of India in a fast 11.53 seconds clocking, in the process erasing the old Asiad record in the event and becoming the first woman runner to win the event back-to-back.
She also ruled the century four years earlier in new Delhi where she broke the country?s 20-year gold medal drought in the event since Mona Sulaiman?s triumph in 1962 in Jakarta.
?Handog ko ang panalo kong ito kay Tita Cory na nagbigay sa akin ng di masusukatang inspirasyon at sa mga kababayan nating Pilipino na nagkaisa para mabigyan ang ating bayan ng kaunaunahang mapayapang rebolusyon sa mundo,? De Vega said then.
As if on signal, Hall of Fame bowler Bong Coo followed the gold medal march of De Vega to the victory podium by picking up a pair of her own by crowning herself the women?s all events and anchoring the national team of five that also included Cathy Solis, Cecille Gaffud, Beck Watanabe and Arianne Cerdena, again to the gold medal performance.
Completing the country?s strongest finish since 1978 in the quadrennial conclave, teener Ramon Brobio, the world junior champion, ruled the men?s individual gold competition besting the best the region can offer, many of whom old enough to be his fathers.
That Filipinos? four-gold medal harvest improved by 100 percent the pair their predecessors brought home four years previous and was taken as the start of what was to become a decade of the Filipino athletes? successful campaign in the world?s sporting arena.
Two years later in the same city, Cerdena gifted the country its first Olympic gold medal, albeit in a demonstration sport bowling where she topped the singles event in addition to the bronze medal scooped up by boxer Leopoldo Serrantes.
Three years later in Manila, during the 1991 edition of the Southeast Asian Games Christened ?The Manila Miracle of ?91, the Philippines came up with its highest finish of second overall losing the overall championship to Indonesia by a mere gold.
The Filipino athletes, again led by De Vega and swimmer Eric Buhain, kept 91 gold medals this shore, in what explained the ?Manila Miracle of ?91? moniker, to the Indonesians? 92.
(Next: How the Philippines won ?91 SEA Games Second Overall)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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