NO less than P32 million were supposed to be pocketed by five Filipino lasses in the just-ended Asian Games.
Golfers Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan and LK Go combined for almost P20-million won, with weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz and skateboarder Margielyn Didal stashing away nearly P7 million each.
And why the cash bonanza for the Fabulous Five?
Saso, Diaz and Didal won individual golds worth P6 million apiece at the very least, coming both from government and private incentives.
Pagdanganan and Go pocketed their millions from the gold won in women’s team golf.
However, look at this.
Irony is at its puking peak as only Diaz and Didal can savor the effervescence of their millions in the bank.
Saso, Pagdanganan and Go will get—hold your breath—not even a single centavo from their winnings.
Reason? They are amateurs. And amateur golfers are banned from accepting money.
Of all sports, only golf is the last remaining holdout. It has not torn down the ramparts of amateurism: Cash prizes not allowed.
Even the rules governing the sport itself are crafted until now by amateur entities—the USGA of America and the R & A (Royal & Ancient) of Saint Andrews of Scotland. Professionals still bow to them.
So what happened to the millions deservedly belonging to Saso (individual gold and team gold), Pagdanganan (team gold and individual bronze) and Go (team gold)?
Who got their windfall? Their parents?
Good guess. They are still teenagers, you know.
But seemingly, no, if we believe the papers. The kids appear to be merely one-day millionaires.
Look at this.
All three had become instant donors. If we can believe the papers again, they donated their winnings to the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP).
“Their money will be used for golf development,” said their golf officials.
Can you believe that?
Earlier, an elated President Duterte fattened the cash chest of all five gold medal winners with another million bucks each.
Was he informed the money of the three golden girls would go to NGAP’s coffers instead?
No need.
For, between you and me, do you also buy the idea that Saso, Pagdanganan and Go will never receive anything for their golden efforts worth millions?
Are you kidding me?
Tickle me more.
THAT’S IT If you ask me, Fiba (World Basketball Federation) committed a grievous mistake when it ordered the Philippines-Qatar game on Monday be played behind closed doors. (Gilas won, 92-81, for a much-coveted third place in the Fiba qualifiers.) This was an offshoot of Fiba’s seething anger (justified) toward the brawl between the Philippines and Australia in their recent game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Obviously, Fiba’s move to have the PHL-Qatar contest played behind closed doors was by way of “punishing” the Philippines for its part in the melee. No issue on punishment. But, alas, Fiba had sidestepped a crucial truth with that closed-door thing. That was insane, to say the least, because what Fiba essentially punished for having done that was not our basketball team but the Filipino basketball public, who were unnecessarily deprived to watch the sport they consider their national sport. Actually, Fiba unleashed a double whammy against us by suspending nine Gilas players and two Filipino coaches (correct on this, I must say, though) involved in our fracas with Australia, either directly or indirectly; and, next, by preventing the Filipino fans from watching the Gilas-Qatar game live at the Cubao Big Dome. What could be a crazier Fiba decision than that? Oh, well, move on we must. Under the circumstances, that’s the only sane move available on the shelf.