By Jerome Lagunzad
Instead of taking the easier path of tapping foreign talents to serve as naturalized players for international sporting meets, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) should scour the countryside and find diamonds in the rough waiting to be polished.
That’s the timely reminder – and the daunting task at the same time – issued by Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol last Tuesday night as the keynote speaker during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night inside the vibrant Maynila Hall of Manila Hotel.
A former sportswriter and columnist of this publication who has also found his niche in local politics, Piñol, 64, urged local sports stakeholders on hand to put more premium on strengthening the country’s grassroots programs in order to discover and develop local and fresh talents, especially in several far-flung areas.
“Just like Philippine agriculture in the past, Philippine sports also failed to look at the basic things which need to be done to prepare a road map for each sport discipline – to discover and develop talents in the country,” he said.
“I don’t mean to offend anybody in the importation (naturalization) program. But I believe that the country’s sports development programs should look deep on what we have and develop these talents.”
Incidentally, Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes, who recently defended naturalized player Andray Blatche over armchair critics that the former NBA veteran remains as “our guy” for the FIBA World Cup qualifiers, was among those present.
“Sports is not all about winning. Believe me, we have so many sports talents in the countryside waiting to be
discovered,” said Piñol. “There could be more Manny Pacquiaos out there…and there could be more of them. We only have to discover them and focus on the programs that could discover these talents in the countryside.”
Piñol added that “Philippine sports officials should not operate as politicians like us” who lay out programs on a short-term basis instead of a long-term approach.
“Let us not be short-sighted and instead look at the future in planning sports programs,” he stressed, with newly-elected POC president Ricky Vargas and PSC chairman Butch Ramirez among those lending their ears.
Piñol also joined some of his contemporaries still part of the country’s oldest media organization in toasting the top Filipino performers last year, with boxer Jerwin Ancajas, bowler Krizzia Tabora and cue artist Carlo Biado co-sharing the Tapa King Athlete of the Year honors during the event presented by MILO and Cignal TV, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) as major sponsor, and backed by the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), Smart, Mighty Sports, Globalport, and Rain or Shine.