EDITORS DESK
There is an abundance of reasons why this year is a banner season for Philippine sports. While Hidilyn Diaz's conquest of the Tokyo Games in 2021 serves as a gem in all of the tales that encapsulated the country's long and painful struggle for Olympic greatness, 2023 was nothing short of spectacular.
From stories that made headlines on print, online, and other digital platforms, the triumphs of the Filipino athletes surely tickled national interest, and sparked a sense of pride and inspiration to people from all walks of life.
Indeed, sports can be a source of motivation, an influence to make a change, and a catalyst to nation building.
Let's take a short rundown of the top sports stories of 2023.
EJ Obiena
The lean pole vaulter, a proud Manileño, won the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games gold medal in May with a meet record of 5.65 meters. He trooped back to Europe for the ultra-competitive outdoor season and had several podium finishes, highlighted by a historic 6-meter jump in Norway the following month.
He did repeat his personal best in the Budapest World Championships, where he took silver behind world record-holder Armand Duplantis.
Capping off a splendid season was his 5.90m performance in the Hangzhou Asian Games in September, where he was cheered not only by the small Filipino contingent but also the Chinese fans at the National Stadium who were left in awe with his prowess.
Gilas Pilipinas
The men's basketball team delivered the country's first Asian Games gold medal in 61 years after shooting down Jordan, 70-60, in the finals at the Olympic Gymnasium in Hangzhou.
With head coach Tim Cone weaving his stroke of brilliance for a team that was doubted at first but celebrated like rockstars in the aftermath of the glorious ascent to the continent's summit, victory was never that handsome for this basketball-crazed nation.
Meggie Ochoa and Annie Ramirez
Filipina power was on full display in Hangzhou after two female jiu-jitsu fighters struck gold medals in the Asian Games.
Margarita "Meggie" Ochoa bagged the gold medal in the -48-kilogram division, while Annie Ramirez did the same magnificent feat in the 57-kilogram class of the combat sport widely considered for self defense, especially for women.
Filipinas
Now ranked No. 44, the Philippine women's national football team made its historic debut in the FIFA World Cup, which was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia in July.
Drawn in Group A along with New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland, the Filipina players had nothing in mind but to make an impact and play decently against the best squads in the world.
Called the "Filipinas," the team lost to Switzerland, 2-0, in its first assignment before stunning the hosts Kiwis, 1-0, in the next match. The victory was a resounding success for the football program, and a testament to the team's grit and determination despite the tall odds in the sport's grandest stage.
The Philippines dropped its final group stage match, 6-0 defeat against Norway, but that did not dampen the atmosphere of delight among the players and also the fans here and abroad.
(Ramon Rafael C. Bonilla is the head of Sports section of Manila Bulletin.)