‘I can take on anything’

The story of the Filipino athlete cannot be taken lightly. Athletes are often compared to soldiers at war, since sports is a substitute for mortal combat. They are expected to persevere, toil on, and get results, regardless of the level of support they receive. Luckily, Filipino athletes have a tireless government agency throwing its muscle behind them and their national sports associations, no matter what. The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is even going a step further, as today marks the launch of a new sports show that reveals to the public exactly how much our athletes have given in their quest to bring honor to the country. The hour-long program entitled “Team Pilipinas,” produced by the PSC, launches at 4 pm today on People’s Television.

The first story of sacrifice on the program involves boxer Eumir Felix Marcial. The fearless boxer breaks down in tears recounting how much he has had to give up in pursuit of the dream of an Olympic gold medal. It includes the death of a brother who was his mentor, whom he no longer got to see; and a father who likewise gave up so much for him. He fights on for country and family.

“I can take on anything,” Marcial said from Los Angeles. “That is what I use for motivation, that when I come back, I will bring the gold and be with my Papa again.”

Meanwhile, Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz was stranded in Kuala Lumpur when the pandemic broke out. She talks about how the short preparation for the Asian Weightlifting Championships turned into 14 months, and how having a support team helped her deal with all the uncertainty.

“It was good to just have someone to talk to,” says Diaz, who only needs to show up at the Asian championships next weekend (her sixth Olympic qualifier), to clinch a berth in Tokyo. “I was able to let out my anxiety and deal with it.”

Also, the PSC’s top officials talk about their unwavering support for our athletes for the Olympics and Southeast Asian Games this year, regardless of the circumstances.

“We have a very good relationship with the NSAs,” explains PSC Chairman Butch Ramirez. “We discuss maximum and minimum numbers of athletes. Philippine Olympic Committee President Bambol (Tolentino) visited me and endorsed the delegation to Hanoi. We are supporting them with their training, allowances, plane tickets, all the support of the government.”

Meanwhile, the agency is also working feverishly to find alternative venues for national athletes to train in, as three of its major facilities are still being borrowed by the IATF as quarantine areas, more so when the ECQ in Metro Manila was extended.

Team Pilipinas airs exclusively on PTV every Saturday at 4 pm.