NEW Clark City—Doubters said it was impossible.
But after 11 days of passionate cheering from the crowd, the persistence and hard work of the men and women behind the scene and, of course, the blood, sweat and tears of the Filipino athletes—the host nation emerged amazingly victorious.
Filipino athletes scooped the largest harvest in history, gifting the home crowd a performance to cherish with 149 gold, 117 silver and 120 bronze medals.
Bringing close to 10,000 visitors to the country and assembling the biggest ever staging with 529 events in 56 sports, hosting the 30th edition of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games was no easy task.
Met by skeptics and miscues, the recipes for disaster were all in place. But Filipinos are of different breed.
“It feels like yesterday that we went into the planning stages, the feverish preparations, the many challenges faced and hurdled, then the excitement of the competitions and the inevitable euphoria…we bid each other farewell,” Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman and Chef de Mission William “Butch” Ramirez said.
It was also Ramirez who was at the helm when Manila hosted the Games in 2005. At that time, the country clinched 112 golds to also clinch the overall title.
Yet, times have changed, and so did the leaders. Competition became harder and the country rolled steeply downward in the medal tally, the most lethal blow in Kuala Lumpur last year with a measly haul of 23 golds.
The redemption went 14 years in the making, and the 11 days of battle on home ground served as evidence that today is the renaissance for Philippine sports.
But the ride wasn’t smooth all the way. Doubters came in many forms. They bashed the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee with whatever they could throw at the organization.
The cost of the Games was pelted left and right. The cauldron at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium was burnt down even before it was lit—not by fire, but by skeptical politicians, netizens, what have you.
And what about the possible medals haul and the goal of finishing No. 1?
Only those who were embedded in the training and preparation of athletes knew the impossible was possible.
The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), led by its president, Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, picked the right sports where the country would really reap good numbers.
The PSC, chaired by Ramirez, didn’t hesitate to support the heart and soul of the Philippine campaign—the athletes. And for more than P1 billion, the hosts’ bets delivered.
“The Philippines was fortunate to work with some of the most well-meaning and experienced personalities ever gathered that gave us the chance to stage the biggest SEA Games ever, and hopefully, to some semblance of success,” Ramirez said.
“But success does not only mean victory in the field of play, but our ability to impress upon every participant the importance of embracing the values of fairness, dedication, excellence and grace in the face of intense competition,” he added.
Tolentino, the architect behind the 56-sport Games, was relentless from Day Zero.
“I am overwhelmed by the performance of our athletes. They showed us that with proper support and encouragement, they will deliver. I am proud that they proved that my faith in them was well-placed,” Tolentino said.
“But this is just the beginning. I see better things ahead of Philippine sports,” he added.
At far second was Vietnam with a haul of 98 gold, 85 silver and 104 bronze medals. Thailand ended in third with a 92-103-123 tally. Rounding up the top 5 were Indonesia (72-84-111) and Malaysia (55–58-72).
On Tuesday night, the victories of the men’s and women’s basketball teams capped the successful campaign.
After a 14-year hiatus, arnis was resuscitated and contributed the biggest haul of 14 gold medals on top of four silvers and two bronzes. The athletics team put its signature on the brand-new Athletics Stadium with 11 golds, eight silvers and eight bronzes.
Dancesport delivered 10 golds, while taekwondo produced eight mints. Wushu had seven golds, and also did boxing. And the Christmas would be one warm and fruitful holiday for the winning athletes.
Under Republic Act 10699, each gold medalist will receive P300,000, silver medalist P150,000 and bronze medalist P60,000.
The POC, Tolentino said, will match government’s incentive program. President Duterte will also give an addition of P250,000, P150,000 and P100,000 for the gold, silver and bronze winners, respectively.
Image credits: Roy Domingo