When Philippine boxer Aira Villegas ended her Olympic debut with a bronze medal in the women’s 50 kg class at Paris, what she said in the post match interview caught the attention of many Filipinos.
“I’m not super disappointed because I know I did my best. And I have to admit [my opponent] is really good and she studied me well. To all Filipinos who stayed up to watch my fight, I’m sorry. But we’re able to bring home a medal and I hope I still made you all proud,” she said in Filipino in an interview with ONE Sports.
If you come to think of it, had gymnast Carlos Yulo not set expectations ridiculously high for Team Philippines by winning double gold medals in the early going of the games, Villegas would’ve been quite proud of her achievement, an Olympic bronze. There would’ve been no need to apologize and hope that she still made her countrymen proud.
Due to the recent and unprecedented gold medal streak of the country, courtesy of national athletes Hidilyn Diaz and Caloy, Filipinos could actually be starting to think that we deserve to win more. Maybe that is what Aira thought we expected from her, hence the apology. However, if the fact of the matter is that winning an Olympic medal is one of the most difficult feats in the world, because it puts the athlete as the top 3 in the world in their particular sport or discipline.
We have to be honest with ourselves and admit that we got lucky with Hidilyn and Caloy, because despite the inconsistent and low quality of support from their own government, they were able to pull off the impossible, which is to train and develop their skills enough to get a shot and win gold medals. When even just getting into the Olympics is tough enough for most Pinoy athletes, no matter how promising or talented, that additional degree of difficulty is one of the factors that make any Filipino winning an Olympic medal a truly great achievement.
For Paris 2024, the Philippines sent 22 athletes. Most went home empty handed. Only Yulo, Villegas, and boxer Nesthy Petecio won medals. 2 golds for Yulo, 1 bronze each for the boxers.
EJ Obiena, ranked number 2 in the world in pole vaulting, missed out on a podium, demonstrating how things are different in the Olympics, when the pressure to perform can sometimes be overwhelming, and whether you like it or not, luck can still play a role in the path to an Olympic medal.
In golf, Bianca Pagdanganan mounted a furious fightback in the final round that ended in her narrowly missing a bronze medal. It is possible that if our women’s golf team hadn’t been distracted with making DIY uniforms during the early going, they could’ve fared better. But such is life as a Filipino athlete, where resiliency includes knowledge on the usage of double sided tape to stick a flag on your DIY Olympics uniform.
Our other athletes who qualified for the Olympics may have crashed out of medal contention, but there is no shame in that because the way it works, even just qualifying is an achievement. They don’t get to be an Olympian just because they are the best in our country. They have to go through a qualifying process that ensures only the world’s top competitors have a chance at Olympic glory. Getting into the Olympics is already a win, and as they are competing with the world’s best, there should be no shame in missing out on the podium.
For the Paris Olympics, the other Filipino athletes who qualified are John Cabang and Lauren Hoffman (athletics); Carlo Paalam, Eumir Marcial, Hergie Bacyadan (boxing); Samantha Catantan (fencing); Dottie Ardina (golf); Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo, Levi Ruivivar (gymnastics); Kiyomi Watanabe (judo); Joanie Delgaco (rowing); Jarod Hatch and Kayla Sanchez (swimming); John Ceniza, Elreen Ando, and Vanessa Sarno (weightlifting).
All of the athletes who represent the Philippines at the Olympics deserve our appreciation, win or lose. These are people who have dedicated their lives towards excellence in their sport, with minimal support from our government; developing their skills and training in absolutely horrid conditions, probably out of pocket, in the hope of reimbursement; seeking their own sponsors; forming their own support teams; and having to deal with the politics and politicians that rule the sporting associations that ultimately determine their fate. Correction: these are the people who have stuck it out with the Philippines despite those challenges, while many other countrymen who are as talented and promising have made the easy choice to compete under another flag.
The spotlight will be on Carlos Yulo this week, when he comes home to the Philippines with 2 gold medals around his neck. However, the heroes’ welcome shouldn’t be limited to him and the other medalists alone. We should also honor all our Olympians for making the cut to Paris and trying their best, giving us those chances to wow the world and get on the podium.
Also as prizes and incentives are dished out to the medalists, our sports officials, government, and private sector might also want to find a better way of identifying, honing, and supporting athletes with potential, other than prizes only if they win Olympic medals, because if you come to think of it, that is not support, but it is just advertising.
Imagine how many more Olympic medals and other international accolades Filipinos can win and earn, if only our leaders focused more on investing in our potential and talent, instead of taking the safe route of doling out prizes only to those who, by sheer force of will, determination, and a bit of luck, somehow rise to the top.*
