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Saturday, June 24, 2006
Batuhan: The great equalizer
By Allan S. B. Batuhan
Foreign Exchange
In how many fields of human endeavor today can a poor tiny country, such as Ghana, outdo the rich and mighty United States of America? Or a bunch of Brazilian kids overcome a team from efficient and orderly Japan?
Not many I have to say. In a world of increasing globalization, where wealth is supposed to flow freely across borders and prosperity awaits all who participate in it, the benefits have been slow in coming. If anything, what has happened is that the gulf between the haves and the have-nots of the world has been magnified, exacerbated by the speed by which those that are already affluent have been able to harness technology and free trade to their benefit.
Africa is in the doldrums. Civil wars, internal strife, corrupt governments and the AIDS epidemic all cast a very long shadow over the continent. So too is most of South America, where all the natural resources in the world cannot seem to benefit those countries that have been so blessed by them.
And yet, for the last couple of weeks, and for the next couple more, everyone is equal in the world’s stage. Or better yet, the scales have tipped in the opposite direction, in a scale that is perhaps unprecedented in any other competitive activity.
That’s because with all the wealth at their disposal, Japan and the United States have been sent home packing, to try again in another four years. And the otherwise weak country from Africa and the always disorganized Brazilians march proudly on to win another day.
If you haven’t been watching this happen, you have missed seeing humanity in action. Yes I am talking of none other than the ongoing World Cup of nations, that once-in-four-years celebration of human passion and excitement, energizing rich and poor nations alike, and making them all believe that for part of a summer at least, everyone truly plays on the same level playing field.
It is one great big drama, this game we America-philes call soccer. And most of us probably don’t even know how it’s played.
And yet for all of our neighbors in Asia, to our friends in distant shores across all continents of the world, there is only one game to play. Jogo Bonito. The beautiful game.
For all the showboating of basketball, the raw power of baseball and the dazzling speed of American football, few can equal the heart-stopping excitement of soccer. Watching two skillful teams play is like deep sea diving without an oxygen tank.
That’s right—the game takes your breath away. Dare take a gulp of breath, and you may have missed the all-important goal that clinched the victory.
For how long the Philippines can hold out on taking this game to heart, it remains only a matter of time surely. NBA holds us by the scruff of the neck, and so we short men of Asia try to emulate our towering friends in America by playing their game.
But we must not miss the cruel joke here.
For while we watch and play nothing but basketball, our American mentors in the sport have themselves now started to assert their superiority in world soccer. While they have been booted out in the first phase of the tournament this time around, the Americans are now ranked among the top 10 teams in the world, alongside such traditional powerhouses as Germany, Brazil and England.
So come on Philippines, what are we waiting for? It’s time to ditch our passion for the tall men’s sport, and start embracing the beautiful game.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 24, 2006 issue)
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