The greatest generation?

The 1980’s are considered by some as the Golden Age of Philippine sports. It produced so many consistent winners who are now considered immortals not only of their individual events, but of sports in general. But if you ask the athletes of that generation, they demur. They were just good soldiers. A lot of it had to do with being told to do several events.

“We were fearless, we were hardworking, we had no airs,” explains Elma Muros, who broke the SEA Games record in the long jump in 1983. “With so many events, I said ‘Lord, how did I do all of that?’ I did the 100, 400, 400-meter hurdles, long jump, the heptathlon. Seven events counted as one medal! I had so many events, I needed to break the SEA Games record on my first jump. And I did!”

The product of Romblon still competes in Masters events in her 50’s, and has quietly helped other athletes. She tells her athletes that pain and discomfort are just part of the journey. She herself won a SEA Games heptathlon competition with an injured knee. Headaches, fever, menstrual cramps were not hindrances. That is the same thing 1980’s media darling has been teaching her students in Singapore for the last 15 years.

“Whenever I would run, I would simply do my best,” said Lydia de Vega, Asian sprint queen from 1982 to 1990. “I don’t care who my opponents are. If I lose, it means I wasn’t at my best, and I will run better next time. You run against yourself. That is what I teach my athletes.”

The 1980’s also produced a phenomenal second and third generation of PBA players, following in the footsteps of the pioneering giants of the game. This was showcased as many of them joined the first-ever all-professional team that competed internationally. Unknown to many, the two Filipinos who would be named to the 1990 Asian Games Mythical Team almost didn’t make the trip to China. Allan Caidic had a fractured left hand. Samboy Lim had a tear in his shoulder.

“I almost didn’t make it,” Allan remembers. “We just did a lot of physical therapy on my shooting hand so I could join the team. Samboy was taking painkiller injections in his shoulder before each game.”

It’s that kind of dedication that made them so dominant. At age 16, Jet Dionisio joined the 1989 Steel Challenge, the world speed shooting championships. He actually won two of the seven stages. The next three years, he won it all. Strangely, the competition was stopped.

“Actually, after I won it three times, they stopped the whole tournament. I really don’t know why,” Jet laughs. “But after four years, they revived it.”

Meanwhile, he won the world championships, the World Shoot-Off, three times in a row, as well.

Another youngster who rose up in the 1980’s was swimmer Akiko Thomson. In 1988, the multiple SEA Games gold medalist was the second-youngest Filipino athlete to qualify for the Olympics at 13. 

“I was really just blessed to have great coaches,” says 1991 SEA Games Outstanding Female Athlete Akiko Thomson. “I was just a kid, so I did whatever they told me to. Luckily, they knew how to bring me along.”

If you look at these athletes, most of whom bloomed under the Project: Gintong Alay program, they all have two things in common. First, their records still stand. Secondly, they still contribute to their sports in some important role or other.