National philosophy on sports

It’s been a life-long mission of former POC legal counsel and former Philippine Fencing Association president Atty. Victor (Toto) Africa to verbalize a national philosophy of sports as a step towards the creation of a culture of sports excellence. He’s aware that the Constitution declares that “the State shall promote physical education and encourage sports programs, league competitions and amateur sports including training for international competitions to foster self-discipline, teamwork and excellence for the development of a healthy and alert citizenry” and that the law establishing the PSC is in line with the Constitutional mandate.

To Africa, it’s critical to rationalize why the country is into sports, why resources are allocated for sports and why Filipinos are invited to join and support the national sports development program. “It will clarify the roles of the sports participants: the athletes, coaches, administrators, media and fans as well as the relationships between and among them,” he said. “Sports is truly a national movement and founded on a national philosophy of sports … we must be one in our national philosophy on sports, we must be one in flourishing it, we must be one in giving it … life.”

Africa said the sports community should take action by verbalizing the national philosophy. “It will define for us what ‘sports excellence’ is,” he said. “Now is the time for the sports community to move forward as one, to march to the beat of just one drummer and that one drummer is the national philosophy on sports. It is what we, each one of us, tack our personal sports philosophy to; it is what we bear in mind when we, together, exert a national effort in and for sports; it is what binds us, a united Philippine team, when we talk about national sports development.”

With the POC elections just around the corner on Nov. 27, Africa said his call is timely. “Maybe the candidates can make their position known on this question: How will they make the POC philosophy on sports relate or be relevant to the national philosophy of sports?” he added.

In 2012, Africa ran for a seat as Board Member in the POC Executive Board and lost. “My platform consisted of these ideals – propagation of Olympism, a Sports By All program, development of coaches and respect for NSA autonomy,” he said. “Of those ideals, the most important to and for me was the propagation of Olympism. That is the raison d’etre of IOC and by default, also of POC. I wish the candidates in the elections this year will tell the voters and the rest of the sports community if, when and how they will do it.” Africa said his running mates adopted his platform and the entire ticket was blanked. “It was a full sweep by the other side,” he recalled. “None of us won. I wonder if it was a reflection of my ideals or a reflection of the voters’ ideals. Does POC vote on issues or personalities?”