Korean Weightlifting Association recently invited me as guest of honor to the first East Asian Weightifting Championships and learned their formula for grabbing 13 gold medals over all in the recent Paris Olympics. Although I don't remember them winning a gold in weightlifting. A formula I have been harping for in the last more than twenty years since I was appointed as PSC Commissioner for more than six years under the late President Fidel V Ramos and Erap Estrada. Simple but realistic. They won gold only in individual events. Of course taekwondo which they initiated and founded years ago, with IOC's approval, plus shooting, archery, golf, badminton etc. No team events. No basketball, volleyball, or whatever team event. Let's face it. We're in the same boat. Oh yes, we almost made it beating Latvia with our best national coach Tim Cone as the band leader of our national sport. But it still looks blurred from hereon. We're good for hosting volleyball but not for competition up to now. Unless we grow more giants, either men or women. So here's the bottom line. Now that we have finally have more funds from PAGCOR, courtesy of the Supreme Court, lets put our money more in badminton, table and lawn tennis,athletics, fencing, archery, gymnastics, squash, golf, swimming, boxing, weightlifting, and other individual events. For sure, we'll win more Olympic medals. But wait a minute. The national government has just presented to the Supreme Court a resolution of reconsideration of the said decision. Now we have to wait and see. Hope it doesn't take another ten years to make the final decision. For the sake of our athletes. And if granted we can now put more money of course on Batang Pinoy and Palarong Pambansa, . Without these two grassroots program, nothing will work. We have to start them young, ten years and above, just like the rest of the world. Or we will remain in the gutter as usual. Budget more for these events. Basketball and volleyball can take care of itself. Sponsors abound a lot for them. Hidilyn Diaz and Caloy Yulo have shown the way. Calling Dep ed. Restore Physical Education (PE) in elementary and high school and we'll build a stronger and healthier citizenry. I know for a fact that our new DepEd Secretary in Sonny Angara is a true sportsman as we played basketball together too in Congress for a number of years. A real team player. We played then with now Senators Mark Villar, Joey Villanueva, Alan Cayetano, Goma, Sec Moying Remulla, Pacquiao, and so many other stars.This is the time to start the ball rolling. With the Philippine Sports Commission Chair Dickie Bachmann and Dep ed Sec Angara bonding together in a master plan, we'll even surpass Korea and join Japan in the victory stand and surpass the three golds of Hidilyn Diaz and Caloy Yulo. BBM has only 3 yrs left. Lets do it.
