A light welterweight, Fiel along with flyweight Violito Payla, bantamweight Joan Tipon, lightweight Genebert Basadre and featherweight Orlando Tacuyan Jr. left Wednesday with the RP team via Philippine Airlines for Bangkok.

The team is headed by Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines president Manny T. Lopez.

Coaches are Pat Gaspi and ex-Olympian Ronald Chavez. Fiel and Tacuyan are newcomers while Payla and Basadre fell a win short of snatching Beijing Olympic berths during the World Championships in Chicago, Illinois last November.

It’ll be a long and tedious road ahead, I believe. If they want to compete in the Olympics, the RP boxers need at least three wins in order for them to advance to their respective event finals.

Good luck to the Philippine Team! I wish I’d be able to see you compete in Beijing!

Source

Post from: EveryJoe

Filipino-American Boxer Seeks Olympic Slot

Believe it or not, these women worked hard to get their arses to Games. And I don’t mean just the training here. I’m talking about raising the money and pooling funds they need in order to compete.

“Part of these sacrifices was the money we needed to raise to fund the participation fee for the SEA Games. The PSC (Philippine Sports Commission) informed us that there was no budget for our team. So we left no stone unturned in order to raise funds.”

And it was a reality that team members understood since futsal—an indoor version of football where each team fields in five players on court—is still perceived as a novel sport in the country.

“Sometimes you really have to prove yourself first before sponsors come in,” said Manny Batungbacal, team coach and Tiffany’s husband.

“In fairness to the PSC, they didn’t have any budget also,” said Batungbacal. “We’re a relatively new sport and it’s harder to gamble on us compared to boxing and all the other popular sports.”

But with funds still short a week before the SEA Games, the couple decided to sell their car.

“We’ve been really planning to sell it,” shared Batungbacal. “Days before we left for Thailand, we still lacked P250,000 and we sold the car for P220,000. But we had no regrets at all.”

Source: Inquirer, 23 December 2007

Bringing home the bronze medal didn’t just prove that these women are good at this sport, it showed heart, determination and pure passion for Futsal. Sponsors may now be lining up and the PSC will surely make room for them in their budget plans but I don’t want to forget this effort that they’ve put in. It makes me think of what it must have been like during the early days of the Olympics. I’m reminded of the first Jamaican bobsled team.

For me, these women have made history. I’m proud of them. I’m sure the rest of our countrymen are, too.

Congratulations!

Via Futsal Philippines (Thanks, Luis!)

Post from: EveryJoe

Philippine Women’s Futsal Team Bags Bronze, 24th SEA Games

What happened in the movie was during a gymnastics competition quite similar to a National Championships, the athletes participating had violently disapproved of how a particular routine was judged then scored (I think twas on a vault event). They all believe the athlete deserved a 10 but only got a 9.5 due to a technicality, “her bra was showing hence the deduction”. The rest decided to scratch their turn, which made this athlete the gold medalist for that event by default.

This continued on to other events since the athletes decided that the rules for judging were too outdated that it limits and/or demeans an athlete’s superior skill. They chose who will win per event foregoing the 2nd and 3rd places, silver and bronze medals, respectively.

Twas a highly political statement for the world of gymnastics. Makes you wonder if this was based on real issues. I reckon it can be highly effective in terms of relaying a message but the “people power” or “mob mentality” isn’t always beneficial. We can kiss the idea of organised sport goodbye.

Anyway, will it be really possible for something like this to happen on any sport competition? Can you imagine if this happens during the Olympics?

Discuss.

Post from: EveryJoe

Is Athlete Mutiny Possible?

You guys still spending loads of time in front of the telly, watching sports? Dear me. Turn it off a bit and —

Enjoy the food! Enjoy the gifts! Enjoy your family!

Then you can go back to your sports again. LOL.

Happy Christmas!

Post from: EveryJoe

Off topic: Happy Christmas!

I know there are people out there thinking that this is the worst performance by the country’s delegates esp coming from the last SEA Games wherein we ranked 1st. Then comparing the ratio of the medal tally among those ranked higher.

I believe you guys did the best you could and will be open to further improvement. It doesn’t really matter if bit about the ‘unfair and biased officiating’ of the host country occurred or not. No sense in ‘protesting’ now esp since all the medals have been awarded. Let due process take its course if ever it does become formal — investigating the allegations and such.

No matter. You guys are still awesome!

Some bits were sourced here: RP ends up 6th overall at SEA Games but 2nd in medals count

Post from: EveryJoe

24th SEA Games: Philippines Finishes 6th Place Over-all

Thanks for your continued patronage and I hope in the coming days, I can make up for the time we’ve lost.

Anyway, how have you all been? Did you know that the SEA Games is just around the corner? Cool, yeah? You’ll be hearing bits about that real soon.

Post from: EveryJoe

A Week’s Absence

Worldwide TOP Partner The Coca-Cola Company has made a USD 2 million donation to the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) toward the restoration of its site in Ancient Olympia, as it was severely damaged by the recent forest fires that scorched the Peloponnesus in Greece over the summer.

Source: olympic.org

USD $2 Million is no joke. Ask b5media. You can do a lot of things with that kind of money. It pays to have a big time supporter, yeah? The legacy destroyed by natural calamity is a something worthwhile — “The Coca-Cola Company, as the longest and continuous partner of the Olympic Games and a proud supporter of the Olympic Movement, was deeply concerned about the disaster that hit Greece and the site of Ancient Olympia. After our immediate relief efforts, we wish to continue our engagement and help to facilitate the rapid restoration and reforestation of the Olympic site. Therefore, we are happy to announce this donation to the Hellenic Olympic Committee, expressing our commitment to actively participate in the restoration and reforestation efforts.” Pays to use it for some publicity, too. How noble. I can’t help but think of those malnourished kids who dream of becoming an Olympian, if he survives to reach a decent age to train and compete. Imagine just how much USD $2 Million can do for them.

Post from: EveryJoe

Coca-Cola and Olympic History

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS — Veteran Harry Tañamor showed no ill-effects of a weeklong layoff as he outclassed Nasir Mohammed of Wales, 24-5, Sunday in the International Amateur Boxing Association World Championships here.

Light flyweight Tañamor, Basadre and Payla of the RP-PLDT-Smart boxing team only have to beat their respective rivals on Wednesday to join the list of quarterfinalists who will get automatic berths to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Source: Inquirer

It’s always fantastic to learn about news on Philippine athletes journey to the Olympics. Boxing is becoming quite big here in the country. Thanks to the popularity of Manny Pacquiao’s wins over Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Óscar Larios, Jorge Solis, etc. (Source) Believe me, even them people who aren’t into the sport are tuned in and are aware of these fights.

Anyway, if winning the WBC International Super Featherweight title isn’t enough to convince the rest of the world that Filipino athletes can be good at the sport then perhaps a shot at the Olympic gold may help tonnes.

Good luck to my fellow countrymen!

Post from: EveryJoe

The Philippines Boxes Its Way to the Beijing Olympics

“I was really starting to feel like I couldn’t skate anymore,” the Olympic gold medallist said Sunday at the Olympic Oval. “Basically, I lost my mojo.”

“I’ve been trying to make my skating better and more efficient and have basically taken about 8,000 steps backwards. Not intentionally, but that’s what’s happened.”

Source: The Canadian Press

35-year old Canadian Speedskater Clara Hughes won the gold during the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin. She also has other medals under her belt but it seemed like even for someone like her, an athlete can actually lose their ‘mojo’ as what she called it.

It’ll either be that an athlete will step up and perform or totally lose it. Good to know that for Hughes, she got it back in time. She placed second to world record holder Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic during the Oval Invitational, which qualifies her to compete in the World Cup. Good on ya, Hughes!

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Post from: EveryJoe

Speedskater Clara Hughes Gets Her Mojo Back

Rico raised a good point. Not that it has never been raised on every drug scandal, but I reckon the subject gets easily dropped in most conversations. I think we need to continue talking about it. Let’s raise awareness and call these athletes out. As sports fans, we believe in a higher cause, the athletes are the front runners (no pun intended). They live our dreams out by competing. They represent the country we are citizens of. The higher cause is love of the sport, love of the country.

Personally, doping merely tells me of inadequacy and incompetence. That athlete doesn’t deserve to step into the arena. That athlete merely wants the glory and NOT the sacrifice. That athlete is greedy. That athlete is an idiot. Selfish git.

Enough of that. Be sure to check out Rico’s post. And if you’re interested to continue the dialogue (on this topic or something else), feel free to join us over at The Watering Hole!

Post from: EveryJoe

Talk on Doping, Marion Jones and Trusting Athletes at The Watering Hole