More of the good, less of the bad in 2025
GOODBYE, 2024. Hello, 2025.
It’s the time of the year again when we think of beginnings. And beginnings are always fun and exciting. Every time we begin something new, we think it’s going to be better than it was the last time.
After all, there’s never a better time to look forward for better days ahead than the start of a new year.
We hope the new year — 2025 — will be a lot more spectacular in many ways.
We sure like to see more of the good and less of the bad.
We all hope that there will be more triumphs than setbacks and more cheers than jeers in the wonderful world of sports.
Here are three things we’d like to see in sports in the new year.
With gymnastics champion Caloy Yulo making history by winning two gold medals in the Paris Olympics last July 26-Aug. 11 and many other Filipino athletes making the country proud with their tremendous achievements in the sporting world, sports fans wish the year 2025 will be an even better one.
Under the able leadership of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, the country’s No. 1 sportsman, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chaierman Richard Bachmann and Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, the Filipino athletes have enough motivation to go even “Faster, Higher, Stronger” not just in the Olympic Games, but in all other international sports events in 2025.
— With two gymnastics gold medals by Yulo and two boxing bronze medals by Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas in Paris, the Philippines recorded its best Olympic performance so far, surpassing its performance in 2020 on its 100th anniversary of participation.
This is the second consecutive Olympic Games where the Philippines earned at least one gold medal, winning its first-ever gold through weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz in Tokyo 2020.
No less than President Marcos is giving his full support to the Filipino athletes, and Tolentino, who was re-elected as POC president a couple of months ago, and Bachmann have assured everyone they will closely work together to sustain the gains of the Filipino athletes in the year about to end.
And while the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are still four years away, the POC and PSC can start doing the work beginning in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand on Dec. 9-20 and the 2025 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
— In the wonderful world of sports, it’s always the case of the more, the merrier.
In 2024, we have a lot of sports heroes whose achievements in their respective disciplines made all of us proud to be Filipinos.
We have Yulo, who captured two golds in the men’s floor and vault events to become the first-ever Filipino and Southeast Asian double Olympic gold medalist, and the first from gymnastics.
We have Petecio, who took home the silver medal in the women’s flyweight category and Villegas, who earned the bronze in the women’s featherweight class in boxing.
We have Ernest John Obiena, who made the country proud by rising to become the world No. 3 in men’s pole vault by the 2024 World Athletics Rankings. The 30-year-old, Tondo-born campaigner finished fourth in the Olympic Games in Paris (5.99m) and ninth in the World Indoor hampionships in Glagow ( 5.65 m).
We have tennis superstar Alex Eala, who achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 143 by the WTA in July, 2024. The 19-year-old student at Rafael Nadal Academy is the highest-ranked Filipino female singles player in WTA Tour history, surpassing Maricris Gentz, who peaked at No. 284 on October, 1999. Her memorable victorie sin 2024 included upset wins over former world No. 5 Sara Errani in the Miami Open and Ma Yexin of China and Taylah Preston of Australia in the French Open.
We have golf sensation Rianne Malixi, who won both the U.S. Girls’ Junior and the U.S. Women’s Amateur in the same year. The 19-old pride of Quezon City matched the feat of Seong Eun-jeong of South Korea, who did it in 2016. Malixi,who is set to join uke University for the 2025 school year, also finished fifth in the 2024 Korea Women.s Open.
In 2025, we sure hope to see more Filipino athletes making their presence felt in the world stage.
— After hosting the 19th FIBA Basketball World Cup on Aug. 25-Sept.10, 2023 and getting worldwide acclaim, the Philippines is hoping to do it again, this time in volleyball.
Manila will now welcome the volleyball world through the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Sept. 12-28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos has reiterated the government’s commitment to staging a successful event, especially with presidential son William Vincent Araneta Marcos as chair of the Executive Board of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC).
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco will co-chair the Executive Board alongside Marcos.
The World Championship will feature the world’s top 32 volleyball teams.
And like the FIBA World Cup, Filipino psorts fans hope the FIVB Championships will be another resounding success.
OK, dear. These are only some of the things we’ d like to see in 2025. More of the good, less of the bad.
Your turn now. What would you like to see in sports in the coming year.
NOTES — Happy birthday to my youngest brother Christopher N. Andaya, who will turn another year older — and wiser — on Dec. 31…
Happy birthday, too, to Imelda Akamine, who will celebrate on Jan. 4.
A blessed New Year to all.
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