THOUGHTS ON THE ASIAN GAMES
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 04 Oct 2014
There was a collective sigh of relief heard across the nation when BMX rider Daniel Caluag clinched a gold medal for the floundering Philippine campaign in Incheon.
There were still four boxers entering the semis at that point in time but considering the highly questionable decisions that marred the boxing competitions, Filipino sports fans wondered if we were about to see our worst ever finish in the Asiad.
We all knew Olympian Mark Anthony Barriga was in an impossible situation. He needed to knock out his South Korean opponent twice to secure a win. On second thought, that still would not have been enough.
We seemed to be headed into our best Asian boxing result since 1994 but the semi-final matches made the Godfather look like a Disney cartoon. Lone survivor Charly Suarez had to settle for silver in the finals.
The tale of Gilas turned into a melodramatic telenovela with a tragic ending. Now, that is a real Filipino story. I would like to thank all the basketball players and everyone involved for their sacrifice and effort. But judging from the comments made across the world wide web after the loss to Qatar, changes should be in order. Maintaining the status quo will not sit well with millions of Pinoy basketball fans.
Heavy losses were also suffered on almost all fronts.
I have nothing against Fil-foreigners playing for our country. In fact, I thank them for their service. But our sports leaders have made their recruitment into a convenient short cut instead of going on a comprehensive grass roots sports campaign.
I find it silly that we have pristine beaches but we have trouble producing world-caliber swimmers, beach volleyball teams and divers. There are many sporting disciplines that the Filipino can excel but is there anyone who is making an effort to teach and coach at the school or barangay level?
The lack of funds should not be made an excuse. There are poor African countries that do better than us during the Olympics. And anyone who has paid attention to the news this past year knows that there is a lot of money going around in the Philippines, it was just diverted into someone else's pockets.
I salute all our athletes who have tried their best despite being ill-equipped and lacking in financial support during training.
Sport is supposed to bring out the best in the Filipino. But the powers that be lording over the various sporting associations have once again compelled our athletes to bring knives to a gunfight. This is truly a sad reflection of our society.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Santisima Wins But Vicelles Loses; Suarez-Navarrete Rematch Hangs in the Balance?
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Mon, 08 Sep 2025Locked & loaded for Lewis Crocker rematch, Paddy Donovan has prepared to be crowned the new IBF Welterweight World Champion
Mon, 08 Sep 2025Robby Gonzales Advances to Round of 16 with Win Over Cuba
Mon, 08 Sep 2025James Padua rules Marikina rapid chess championship
By Marlon Bernardino, Mon, 08 Sep 2025Remembering Gabriel ‘Flash’ Elorde: A Pilgrimage of Gratitude
By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, Sun, 07 Sep 2025Hometown Triumph: Oscar Valdez Defeats Ricky Medina by Decision
Sun, 07 Sep 2025Team USA Captures Two Wins on Day Three of 2025 World Boxing Championships
Sun, 07 Sep 2025McCormack Stops Parra in 9
Sun, 07 Sep 2025Monika Singh Makes History as India's Newest Youth World Champion
By Carlos Costa, Sun, 07 Sep 2025Who is Nico Walsh?
By Joaquin Henson, Sun, 07 Sep 2025Kelvin Watts Highlights Day Two of World Boxing Championships for Team USA
Sun, 07 Sep 2025Weigh-In Results: Oscar Valdez vs. Ricky Medina
Sat, 06 Sep 2025WEIGHTS FROM LOS MOCHIS: Eduardo Nuñez - 130 Lbs., Christopher Diaz - 129.6 Lbs.
Sat, 06 Sep 2025“THE HOMECOMING” OFFICIAL WEIGHTS
Sat, 06 Sep 2025‘SUGAR’ NUNEZ VS. ‘PITUFO’ DIAZ – PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
Sat, 06 Sep 2025