Being an athlete does not just require exceptional skills and a ton of training hours in order to be the best one in the field. There are other factors to consider, such as equipment, coaches, and other miscellaneous expenses. What more for national athletes? They need top-tier coaches, top-of-the-line equipment, and opportunities to train in the best environment for their sport. Consequently, there is a lot of money and support needed to push through with the journey.
These national athletes represent the country all over the world. They give honor and pride to our citizens whenever they win a medal, be it gold, silver, or bronze. Athletes such as Manny Pacquiao are a favorite; the country used to stop what they were doing just to watch his matches. Also, there is almost always one or two basketball courts in every barangay. It is quite certain that Filipinos love sports. However, why are our Filipino athletes having such a hard time getting the support of the people, most especially from the government?
Hidilyn Diaz is one such athlete who brought so much pride to the Philippines, but is struggling to continue her dream, both for herself and the country. When she nabbed a silver medal in the last 2016 Summer Olympics, she ended the Philippines’ 20-year Olympic medal drought. Furthermore, she made history as the first Filipino female athlete to win at the Olympics. However, as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is slowly creeping in, Diaz resorted to social media, specifically her Instagram account, to ask for sponsors who would fund her journey toward the games. This has given light to the prevailing issue of the lack of interest of the government in sports development.
There is so much more to sports than just Gilas Pilipinas and Manny Pacquiao. There are athletes from various sports who have competed in international arenas and have won, but do not get enough attention from the general populace and the government as well. Diaz made news when she won a silver medal in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, but not much support has since been given to her behind the scenes. How is it that the Filipino public only gave her thought when she made headlines internationally, yet give her such small regard with her smaller victories?
Other than the government, athletes may be able to solicit help from private institutions and individuals as well. One of the famous names who have helped our national athletes is Manny V. Pangilinan through his Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas that backs up the Philippine National Basketball Team. However, one of the main reasons for this support is usually due to their marketing capabilities, as the league’s players benefit from the love of basketball Filipinos have. Athletes like Diaz, on the other hand, who play sports are limited to their personal efforts for their country.
Athletes like Diaz do not get as much attention and support from the Filipino people. Having said this, government support for these budding sports are very much appreciated.
Diaz is one of our best bets in nabbing a medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and she deserves all the help she can get. The Philippines Sports Commission (PSC), with its chairman William Ramirez, has stated that she is receiving one of the highest allowances in the national pool. But her posting online to ask for help shows that the allowance from the PSC may not be enough. Diaz and the PSC, however, have settled their concerns as of late and Ramirez stated that the government will continue to support Diaz in her 2020 Olympic bid.
It is now all good and well, but the question still remains—why can’t the government and other private sectors give the support these national athletes need? They should not have to go out of their way to “beg” for money on their social media platforms since they have already proven themselves the pride of the country. They should not have to be publicly shamed by other Filipinos who do not have any idea what they go through to represent our country.
