SEA Games

This might be a bit too late but I just wanted to share.

Isn’t it irritating to hear rumors about cheating in the SEA Games? What’s worse is we hear even our own countrymen considering it. Some are even quite certain about it. Personally, I believe no such cheating happened. I think the Philippines won fair and square. We obtained the over-all win by the strength and talent of the Filipino athletes and God’s grace (we couldn’t have won without His help). So here’s what I have to say to those who doubt the Philippines’ SEAG win.

First, there is no problem with the officiating personnel. The Philippines didn’t hire them. They’re not Filipinos. We can’t bribe them either because we don’t have the money to do so.

Second, most sports do not rely on its officials for the results. Take for example, athletics where we did really well in, bowling (It’s quite absurd though that Singapore thinks something was wrong with their lane which caused their losses.), swimming and many others. You know what I mean.

Third, it isn’t surprising that we’d end up with a better prize in our country than when the SEAG are held in foreign lands. People argue that when the competition is held outside the country, we don’t perform as well. Here’s why. It’s not even the home court advantage. That advantage lies only in the familiarity with the sporting venues, weather, wind speed, and anything else related to that. Sometimes, playing in front of your kababayans can even be quite pressuring. Like what the national bowling team’s coach said, when you’re winning, the crowd’s cheers and smiles can uplift you but when you’re not doing so well, their presence would put a lot of pressure on you. Our true advantage lies in the size of our delegation. If the competition were in Thailand or Vietnam, the Philippines won’t be able to send as much athletes. Here in the Philippines, transportation costs wouldn’t be much of a burden. Thus, we gain more chances of winning. Do you think RP could send 800++ national athletes to another nation?

Finally, it’s been proven time and again that Filipinos do really well in sports. The Philippines is home to some of the world’s sporting legends. I won’t even start naming these people. Let’s give it to our national athletes. They trained hard. They gave their all for the Philippines’ glory despite the lack of funds from the government. They gave it their best shot. It’s just but right for us to acknowledge that effort and inspiring love for our country. They gave us reason to be proud that we are Filipinos. It would be unfair to question the victories they wholeheartedly offered to all of us. The least we can do is show some appreciation for what they’ve done for this country.

Congratulations to our Filipino athletes! You deserve all our praises and thanks!