A SEA Games train wreck?

It appears that the home court advantage crowed about by sports officials will mean almost nothing in several sports in the imminent Southeast Asian Games. The equipment for most sports will only arrive in the country on Nov. 15, just half a month before the Games formally open. This sad fact will put even more pressure on Philippine athletes, who are already feeling the weight of expectations of their officials and countrymen.

The committee formed among the PHISGOC, Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee has been studying and screening belated requests from the national sports associations (NSAs) and hopes to finish the task this week, according to PSC Chairman and chief of mission Butch Ramirez. Only then can the sourcing and ordering of the equipment begin in earnest. A lot of the different types of equipment will be traveling by sea from as far as Europe. So once again, the shortcoming of someone higher up becomes an unnecessary burden to the athletes.

“The athletes in my sport arrive from foreign training early November,” said an NSA leader involved with SEA Games preparations. “No venue will be set up yet for them to prepare. Planning and strategy don’t exist here. Only red tape.”

As of last week, only 11 of the 57 sports included in the SEA Games have received their equipment. That’s not even 20 percent of the sports we are counting to deliver gold medals. Some NSA heads do not seem to realize – or care – that there is an unbendable, incompressible process that must be followed, since the Games are using government funds. The committee has to go over the list, check specifications, compare pricing, and ensure that it all fits in the assigned venue. Pending availability, then and only then can the equipment be ordered. Also, the funds have to be requested and transferred. Checks will need to be signed, and so on. And once the equipment arrives, it will first be delivered to the PSC warehouse (another part of the process), before all of it can be delivered by batch to the assigned venues.

So now there is a bottleneck as immovable deadlines approach. Bravo.

If we try to revive our sports leaders’ unreliable short-term memory, a lot of the effort of the POC was diverted by another election just a few months ago. In other words, the infighting for power distracted them from doing their jobs and taking care of the athletes’ needs. And if they say that could have done it all, anyway, we should just laugh in their faces. They were too busy looking out for their own interests like entitled brats.

One official described the atmosphere as “politics, red tape and bureaucracy” which has been exhausting and an unnecessary use of their time and energy. In the meantime, athletes are working until they ache all over, thinking that everything will be ready for them in good time before the SEA Games. Will they be in for a surprise?

Should the athletes succeed, their bosses will take disproportionate – if not all – credit. They’ll claim their programs are perfect. Should the athletes fail, there will be a lot of hand-wringing, head-scratching and finger-pointing. And of course, the athletes take the brunt of the blame. After all, aren’t they the usual shock absorbers?

There are three components to winning in this coming SEA Games. First is overall preparation, which always ensures competitiveness. Second is the adrenaline boost brought by cheering, encouraging home crowds. And third is familiarity with the equipment and the venue which, in close matches, makes all the difference. Are the NSA officials really setting up their athletes to win?

Or are they laying the groundwork for a very public train wreck?