I LIKE what the PSA (Philippine Sports Association) had just done.
By declaring the Philippine Team that won the recent SEA Games overall championship as “Athlete of The Year” for 2019, the PSA recognized the supreme role of teamwork.
Isn’t that what sports is all about?
Teamwork to the core being the essence of every endeavor not only in any sporting activity but in all spheres of human life?
Simply put, the country’s overwhelming victory in the SEA Games was a result of the combined efforts of the Filipino people, from ball boys, towel boys, water boys to athletes to coaches, to agencies.
We won 149 gold medals for an astonishing 51-gold winning margin over Vietnam, yes, but each and every precious metal was the handiwork of not only the individual performer but rather, by the entire team.
It warms the heart to know that the PSA leadership has finally put a premium on the supreme role of combined talents pooled together.
Not only is the gold winner the star but his coach too.
Not only is the coach worthy of the spotlight but his assistants too.
Not only are the winning players and their coaches and managers worthy of recognition but also their supporters and patrons, whose selfless contribution, financial or otherwise, had contributed immensely to the overall victory of Team Philippines.
And who could forget the non-champions like the silver and bronze medalists?
They are as much a part of Team Philippines because without their efforts, it’d be also boring in the end if we had simply won the bacon without the gravy (supporting roles) to go with it.
Those so-called “non-winners” did their best though they didn’t pluck the gold, their efforts a screaming proof of their oneness to the overall goal of winning it all.
Even the janitor mopping the floor of the gym of the winning gymnast is part of Team Philippines, if you get the drift.
So, when the awarding is finally over, Team Philippines shall have grabbed the distinct honor nobody had won before; it might not happen again.
In essence, the Filipino is the overall champion. Take a bow, PSA. Good job.