Wishes for 2019

As we welcome 2019 with fresh hopes for a bright new year, we pray that Philippine sports will be blessed by positive developments. Here are 10 wishes in our list of good things to come:

• Successful staging of the 30th Southeast Asian Games. It will be the fourth SEA Games that the Philippines is hosting after 1981, 1991 and 2005. The Philippines Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOV) is leaving no stone unturned in making sure the event will be historic and unforgettable on Nov. 30-Dec. 11. There are 56 sports and 523 events in the calendar with competition grounds in the New Clark City, Subic, Manila and Tagaytay. Of the all-time record 56 sports on tap, 42 are in Category 2 (Olympic and Asian Games sports), 12 in Category 3 (the maximum for “other” sports) and two in Category 1 (aquatics and athletics as compulsory sports). The Philippines has won the overall championship only once since joining the conclave in 1977 and it came when the country hosted in 2005. 

• Gilas qualifies for the FIBA World Cup. The Philippine team has a slim chance of making it to the FIBA World Cup and coach Yeng Guiao is optimistic that down the stretch, Gilas will deliver with its back against the wall. The Philippines has two qualifying games left in the sixth and final window against Qatar on Feb. 21 and Kazakhstan on Feb. 24, both on the road. To advance to the 32-nation World Cup in China on Aug. 31-Sept. 15, the Philippines must finish at least third in its second round bracket or register the better fourth place record than the other group. Guiao said the pool of 15 will be named in the first week of this month and confirmed that naturalized player Andray Blatche will be included.

• Breaking out of Group 2 in the Davis Cup. The Philippine national tennis team has languished in Group 2 of the Asia/Oceania Division of the Davis Cup since 2011 and will try to move up to Group 1 in April or September. A new World Group format will be unveiled this year with 24 countries competing in a qualifying event on Feb. 1-2 and the 12 survivors joining the four semifinalists of the previous season and two wildcards in the Finals in Spain in November. The wildcards must be ranked in the top 50 or bannered by a top 10 singles player. The Philippines is ranked No. 53 over Southeast Asian neighbors No. 60 Indonesia, No. 66 Vietnam, No. 96 Malaysia and No. 100 Singapore. The Asia/Oceania countries in the World Group qualifiers are Kazakhstan, Japan, Australia, China, India and Uzbekistan. In Asia/Oceania Group 2 are, aside from the Philippines, Chinese-Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kuwait, New Zealand, Thailand and Vietnam. Group 2 matches will feature only one round of competition.

• PSC, POC moving forward. With more and more NSA rows being settled, the way is clear for both the PSC and POC to join forces in moving Philippine sports forward. There are still leadership disputes bogging down some NSAs but the sooner the disgruntled factions accept the POC’s resolution, the better for their sport to advance. It’s incumbent on the recognized NSA leaders to reach out to constituents who feel disenfranchised or prejudiced in the interest of unity for the sake of their sport. Take the Philippine Swimming Inc., for instance. PSI president Lani Velasco has been recognized by both the POC and the international federation but surely, the NSA can only get stronger with the support of Ral Rosario, Akiko Thomson, Eric Buhain, Nikki Coseteng and Susan Papa. Perhaps, the POC can take on the responsibility of reconciling quarreling factions beyond settling disputes over recognition. As for the PSC, the mandate to grow sports at the grassroots level is a priority and the creation of the Philippine Sports Institute to push the initiative is a step in the right direction.

• Caloy to book a ticket to the Olympics. From the looks of things, 18-year-old wunderkind Caloy Yulo is on the road to become the first Filipino gymnast to compete in the Olympics in 52 years. Yulo took the bronze medal in floor exercise at the World Championships in Doha last Oct. 25-Nov. 3 then finished third in the same event at the World Challenge Cup in Cottbus, Germany, last Nov. 21-25 and bagged the silver in floor, vault and parallel bars at the Toyota International in Japan last Dec. 8-9. Yulo’s next event is the World Cup in Melbourne on Feb. 21-24. He’s been training in Tokyo with coach Munehiro Kugiyama and therapist Jumpei Konne for nearly two years and the sacrifice is paying off. Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion said Yulo is “getting closer to the Olympics” and “gaining more confidence.” How timely that the 2020 Olympics will be in Tokyo which is Yulo’s training base.

More wishes in tomorrow’s column.