Sunday, August 10, 2008 Cabaero: Focus on Asia, except the Philippines By Nini B. Cabaero Beyond 30
THE Olympic games that opened in China Friday night brought worldwide attention on Asia.
Prior to the games, other Asian countries took some of the Olympic action, of a different kind. In the pre-games activities, athletes underwent the last leg of their trainings outside their home countries and in places close to China. Also a highlight before the opening of the games was the Asia tour of United States President George W. Bush.
Of all the attention focused on China in particular and Asia in general, there was no or little mention of the Philippines.
Look at the final-leg trainings of athletes coming from western countries. New Zealand and Australian teams trained in smog-free Hong Kong during the final stretch to the games. They stayed in Hong Kong for about two weeks and left for China two days before the games’ opening.
British athletes reportedly set up a training base in Macau, before they proceeded to China.
Japan, too, gained some Olympic attention and revenue when it played host to athletes from the United States, Germany and Ireland in their attempt to avoid until the last minute the air pollution of Beijing. While it is customary for athletes to go to the host country early to acclimatize themselves, this time they decided to postpone their trips to China until a day or two before the opening.
President Bush took some of the limelight, too, when he made a tour of parts of Asia on his way to the Olympic games. He was in Seoul, South Korea on Tuesday and in Thailand on Wednesday. He ended his three-nation tour in China where he attended the games’ opening ceremonies. While in Thailand, Bush got some attention when he lambasted China’s human rights record in a speech.
These nations that played host to athletes and were among the stops in Bush’s Asian tour took a slice of the Olympic action and the US president’s drama. Where was the Philippines in all of these?
President Gloria Macapagal-Aroyo was in Beijing Friday to take part in the opening ceremonies. But the Philippines did not figure in any way in the pre-games focus on Asia.
The country that was once in its history dubbed as an Asian tiger was ignored and did not figure at all in the pre-games excitement and in Bush’s trip.
At the time the Olympic euphoria was nearing its climax, the Philippines was battling with what could have been an outbreak of war in parts of Mindanao because of a scuttled signing of a peace agreement.
A lot of responsibility falls on the shoulders of our under-financed Filipino athletes. Their responsibility is not only to win medals for the country but to also put the Philippines back on the Asian map.
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To get trivia and news on the Philippine participation in the Beijing 2008 Olympics, go to the Sun.Star website’s special on the games. Visit www.sunstar.com.ph and click on the “Beijing Olympics” icon.
