EDITORS DESK
Ramon Bonilla
It will be a busy year for Filipino athletes.
Highlighted by two World Cups of different settings but of the same value, and continental and regional sporting events that should attract the fiercest of competitors, the athletes are all armed and ready to represent the flag against the best oppositions. Serving as fire to their goals, the road to the 2024 Paris Games has opened, making this stretch of 12 months the most important season for contenders who will vie for precious Olympic spots.
The Philippines will be co-hosting the FIBA World Cup — the grandest stage for basketball — with Japan and Indonesia from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10. Local organizers have pinpointed Mall of Asia Arena, Smart Araneta Coliseum, and the humongous Philippine Arena as the venues for the spectacle that will gather the most talented players, including the NBA superstars, for the two-week tilt.
Fresh from the euphoria of the FIFA World Cup where Argentina and its beloved hero Lionel Messi copped the prestigious trophy, it will be the turn of the lady footballers to own the spotlight, with the Philippine women’s team joining the contest for the first time in history come July. Called the “Filipinas,” they are bracketed with home team New Zealand, Switzerland, and Norway.
The athletes are also bracing for a hectic calendar of multi-sports events. On the platter are the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Cambodia in May, the 19th Asian Games in China in September, and the 6th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) in Thailand in November.
The Philippine delegates aim for a better result after landing in fifth spot in the previous edition of the SEA Games in Vietnam last year with a total haul of 52 gold, 70 silver, and 104 bronze medals. Meanwhile, it will be a tough task for athletes to match or surpass the four-gold collection from the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, while they also eye to exceed a two-gold performance from the 2017 AIMAG in Turkmenistan.
Also worth watching are the Olympic qualifications of Hidilyn Diaz, EJ Obiena, Carlos Yulo, the national boxers, and the other elite aspirants who aim for Paris slots. These athletes will join tournaments to gain valuable ranking points and maybe win the contest to top it all. In the Tokyo 2020 Games, the country had a lean contingent of 11 individuals who came fighting to deliver one gold, two silver and one bronze medals.
These competitions place highly on Richard Bachmann’s priorities after being appointed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. as the new Philippine Sports Commission chairman just recently. He will map out the direction of the government agency along with commissioners Bong Coo, Edward Hayco and Walter Torres, and also the help of Philippine Olympic Committee chief Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.
In the local scene, fans will be treated to basketball action in Philippine Basketball Association, or in the ranks of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines or the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There is also the Premier Volleyball League, or the Shakey’s Super League for volleyball die-hards.
Indeed, it’s back to normal for the athletes and fans with all these festivities lined up this year.