Christmas sports wishes
IT’S Christmas time — the most wonderful time of the year. It’s the season of loving and giving. It’s the season when we all feel to give more than receive. It’s the season to be merry and happy.
And while we’re thinking about it, here’s the list of our Christmas wishes for our athletes-friends and officials this holiday season.
Team Philippines — The Filipino athletes deserve the best. Even under the most difficult circumstances and most hostile arenas, they fight long and hard to bring honors to the country. They deserve to get the much-needed support and assistance from both the government and private sector. They deserve to get good and honest sports leaders, who would work hard for the common good, not personal gains. They deserve vibrant new leaders with fresh ideas and not aging, ego-tripping officials whose tenure depends on their political connections. Still, the Filipino athletes achieved a lot to make the nation proud in 2023. Here’s wishing 2024 will be a lot better.
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino — As the country’s highest sports official, Tagaytay City Mayor Tolentino is widely credited for the Filipinos’ highly-successful campaigns in the sporting field — from the Southeast Asian Games and ASEAN Para Games in Cambodia to the Asian Games and Asian Para Games in Hangzhou to the ASEAN Para Games to the FIBA World Cup in Manila to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and many more. The country also produced outstanding sports heroes in Hidilyn Diaz, EJ Obiena, Caloy Yulo, Chezka Centeno, Elreen Ando, Meggie Ochoa, Annie Ramirez and even young jiu-jitsu world champion Aleia Aielle Aguilar. Let’s wish the POC under Mayor Tolentino will get even bigger and better results in the coming year.
Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Richard Bachmann and Commissioners Edward Hayco. Bong Coo, Walter Torres and Fritz Gaston — Despite limited budget to spend for the training and preparation of the national athletes from close to 75 national sports associations, the PSC managed to perform its mandate as the government agency tasked to provide assistance to athletes in both elite and grassroot sports. Two of the PSC’s flagship projects, the Philippine National Games and Batang Pinoy, are always rich source of young and talented athletes who could someday represent the country in international competitions. This Christmas, our wish is that the PSC can continue to work harmoniously with the POC and the NSAs to achieve more sporting honors for the country.
Games and Amuusements Board (GAB) Chairman Atty. Richard Clarin — Since being appointed by President Marcos as head of GAB, the agency that supervises professional sports in the country, Clarin has patiently worked his way and reached out to various stakeholders to find ways to help them. His 3Ps advocacy to promote, professionalize, and protect professional sports, has enabled professional athletes and other GAB licensees to enjoy a lot of benefits. Let’s wish GAB and Atty. Clarin would be able to continue all the good plans they started for the benefit of pro athletes.
Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), headed by Commissioner Willie Marcial and Chairman Ricky Vargas — As Asia’s first play-for-pay league established in 1975, the PBA enjoys tremendous success all over the country for almost five decades already. Now on its 48th year, the PBA under Marcial and Vargas continue to look for ways to keep the games interesting and the fans flocking to the venue to watch all their favorite 12 teams. Every basketball fan’s wish is to see the PBA enjoy another banner season with more new and young stars rising.
Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines (JGFP) president Oliver Gan — Since taking over at JGFP, Gan has done a lot to promote junior golf in the country through a bevy of activities aimed at discovering more young and talented jungolfers and helping them train for future international competitions. The 30-year- old former jungolf champion has also initiated several notable activities, including the highly-anticipated Inter-School Championships, since being elected unanimously as president in October,2022. Our Christmas wish is that Gan will get the support he needs to continue all his good plans for JGFP.
A meaningful and merry Christmas to all.
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