Life goes on.
That is how some of the 150 local media personnel from various outlets treat the remaining days of the Manila leg of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) – covering the competition without the home team Gilas Pilipinas.
For most of local sportswriters, photographers and TV crews, covering such big basketball tournament like the OQT is considered special since teams from other countries have one or more NBA players, including superstar Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs.
Aside from Parker, the French squad also has forward Nicolas Batum, who just signed a huge $120 million five-year contract to remain with the Charlotte Hornets, Boris Diaw, now with the Utah Jazz after he was dealt by the Spurs, and former NBA campaigner Nando de Colo.
Canada has the most number of NBA players in center Tristan Thompson of the reigning NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers, Corey Joseph of the Toronto Raptors, Tyler Ennis of the Milwaukee Bucks and Joel Anthony of the Detroit Pistons.
There is also former two-time NBA Most Valuable Player in Steve Nash, who retired two seasons ago and is now the team manager of Canada. Turkey has 7-foot center Omar Asik of the New Orleans Pelicans.
However, while media personnel maintain that code of ethics to be nonpartisan in covering the event, instinct pushes the local press to hope, even quietly root, for a successful campaign of the national team.
Besides, it’s always inspiring to report a news if it’s something positive.
With the national team out of the OQT, and out in the race for a spot in next month’s Rio Olympics, local media personal will continue to perform the job, guided by Grammy award winner LeAnn Rimes’ lyrics in one of her songs ‘Life Goes On’ – “It’s only gonna make me strong.”
