#MINDANAO
As the Paris 2024 Olympics ends, we Filipinos mark 100 years of pitting our best athletes against the world. With this, there are four lessons I have learned from my observations of these games. I think these lessons can help us better understand the significance of the Olympics and competition in general.
The first lesson is that Olympic competitions are not a talent or variety show. Some seem to think that raw, exceptional talent combined with popularity or public adulation wins a medal. The truth is that it takes years of training against others at the same competitive level for the medal to be won.
The second lesson, which is related to the first is that the Olympics is not a hobby fest. Discipline, dedication, and practice make perfect. This means that it is not a mere hobby that one does when one feels like it. The ubiquity of online media now allows us to watch athletes compete any time of the day, and see how they and their competitors train and prepare for the games.
Much respect, therefore, goes into their dedication and discipline toward mastering their skills. Imagine the years of training and preparation, participating in important competitions that are needed to hone the skill to win those medals against those who can perform at the same level. This means that if we want to be the best in the world at a particular endeavor, we will need to prepare and train for it with serious dedication. I do not doubt that our athletes devoted themselves fully to the competitions. We all have a lot to learn from them and their Olympic journey.
The third is that world-class exposure sharpens athletic skills and builds competitive confidence. International cooperation in terms of available athletic scholarships in other countries, and the ability to join high-level competitions in many countries can sharpen the skills and build useful experience that can get them to perform at global levels.
The fourth lesson is that grassroots recruitment and training is important to build a wide pool of talented athletes that we can train. There is a lot of talent out there that just needs to be tapped. Just look at all these online videos showing kids tumbling and emulating our gymnasts. These are potential champions, given the opportunity.
To expose these grassroots recruits even further to higher levels of competition, a useful step is for local sports associations, in association with local corporations, to sponsor international sporting events in the country. This allows those interested, especially in the grassroots to watch and be inspired by international-level competition, and even learn from the competitors, who will engage the game at a level that knocks on the possibility of beating world records.
Our participation in Paris 2024 showed how world-class and competitive the Filipino athlete can be. In future events, we will expect a bigger pool of athletes to take us higher.
Kadayawan!
This year's celebration of the Kadayawan festival in Davao City promises to be a great season that celebrates the diversity of Mindanao’s culture and abundance. Being the island economy’s largest metropolitan area also makes it a very diverse community where cultures are affirmed and respected. This makes it a window to Mindanao.