Early development

AFTER viewing the Olympic Games in London for two weeks in television, somewhat we lost interest in local, national and international sports events.

It is as if you just came from a holiday in Boracay and was invited to swim at Punta Taytay. Now, we know the downside of seeing the beauty of sports in the highest level. It will take another four years for our aspiring athletes to be on top of the list of the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission.

Of course, in due time, the POC and PSC officials will forget what happened to our Olympic medal hopefuls. Peping Cojuangco and Richie Garcia will probably be back in their thrones contented of running the affairs of their kingdom. Their only problem is if Senator Trillanes continues pestering about their existence and leadership.

No need to shed tears for Rene Herrera who came in last in the 10,000 meters run, nor pity our only boxer who reached the second round. The rest should be congratulated for qualifying in the Olympics. Their hard work paid off alright but it is not good enough against the best in the world.

It took in fact Herrera, the Guimaras native, 15 years of running before trailing the pack of roadrunners in the Olympic Stadium. He was the best in 1997 Palarong Pambansa in Naga where the late Jesse Robredo treated the Bacolod sportwriters well. His courage and resolve to finish the race earned him praise from the world's best long distance runners.

Now what?

Smart Gilas 2 took the William Jones Cup for the fourth time. The PHL Dragon Boat team won a world title. Boysie Zamar is back as coach of the University of the East in the UAAP after stints in Indonisia and Singapore. Feisty Cristy Ramos waited six months for a sexual harassment decision that did not go her way.

What will we get next? Why not POC and PSC start cleaning its backyard and discipline sports associations which are only siphoning sports funds for programs not directed to producing the ultimate athlete who can give the county with an Olympic gold?

When NOPSSCEA starts expect excitement from both its officials and participants. Its target is to produce the best athletes for the forthcoming Provincial Meet. As usual its schedule is pressed against time as the UNIGAMES looms in October, school foundation days abound in September and other invitational games come in unexpectedly.

There are also the Prisaa, city and district meets, ANOPSSAI (a NOPSSCEA clone?) and other events which will distort the schedules of the premier inter-schools meet.

But don't worry. After all, there are plenty of masters and doctors in the academe and the NOPSSCEA Board of Trustees can be trusted to handle the first phase of the country's grassroots competition which the POC and PSC take pride as its development program.

Four years to Rio de Janeiro is a lot of time for RP to produce an Olympic gold medalist.