The achievement of Hidilyn Diaz says it all. She complained about lack of training equipment that resulted in her being demonized. Yet, she persevered. That is what everybody who wants to achieve in this country need.
Relying for support from government should be the last thing in one’s mind, because it will never come. Had it been given to promising Filipino athletes before, we would already have a lot of gold medals. Instead, so many of them just wilted in the desert air. Others who could, just took the next plane out, to other more supportive climes.
A prime example of this is Wesley So, one of the best chess players on this planet. Every Filipino’s heart beats for him when he is now in international competitions, but a second look would make such hearts beat in anger, because beside him is not the Philippine flag. It is an American flag. He is now a fully nationalized American citizen.
And who would not be angry? If not for our corrupt sports officials. he would be proudly waving the Philippine flag every time he wins international tournaments which is happening a lot more often nowadays. He was just awarded as Grandmaster of the Year.
Good thing that he did not shy away from exposing the corruption and incompetence of Philippine sports officials when he was interviewed by a popular international chess magazine. But did such officials learn from it? Apparently not. So it happened again to Hidilyn Diaz. It is such a pity that it happened in this Duterte administration. President Duterte promised before, right after he ascended into power, that he would stamp out corruption in no time. He failed in this.
But we should be angrier because such is happening not just in sports but in every field. As Lee Kwan Yew said, the USA will always be more powerful than China as long as it continues to attract to its shores the most talented people around the world.
A big number of those are some of the brainiest Filipinos.**