WITH the way 2024 turned out for the Philippines in the world of sports, it’s safe to say that Filipino sports fans got everything they asked for, and so much more.
From Carlos Yulo snagging two gold medals in the 2024 Paris Olympics, to Gilas Pilipinas announcing its arrival in the global stage, there were plenty of answered prayers over the past 12 months for this rabid Filipino fanbase.
Now fans can only hope that the country sustains its healthy form both in the domestic and international scene, and for that to materialize, SPIN.ph has its own set of wishlist for Philippine sports in the coming year.
1) True parity in the PBA
Don't tell us balance is no longer a pipe dream in the PBA, just because NorthPort currently lords it over the Commissioner's Cup standings and fellow minnow Terrafirma reached the playoffs for the first time in years last season. The PBA is still a long ways from having a level playing field, which can only exist when each of the 12 teams go into every conference with equal chances of winning. Right now, no team outside the powerful SMC and MVP blocs has won a championship in 8 years, and only two 'outsiders' in Alaska in 2017 and guest team Bay Area have ever reached the finals during that same span. That trend will continue in 2025 and beyond, regardless of the rise of Converge and the renaissance of Rain or Shine. Unless the PBA board steps aside and gives the Commissioner's Office the teeth and independence to police one-sided trades, farm-team deals, wanton salary cap violations, and other dubious transactions that have given privileged teams an almost unlimited access to top talent. That unfortunately remains a pipe dream.
2) PVL must tie loose ends to sustain phenomenal rise
Right now, there is no doubt that the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) has risen to become the 'big thing' in Philippine sports, surpassing both the PBA and the collegiate league UAAP in terms of viewership and fan appeal. But festering problems emanating mostly from internal issues continue to weigh it down. You see, the PVL behind Ricky Palou took a big step toward achieving parity by instituting a rookie draft last year. The problem was, the league leadership ran out of time in introducing corresponding rules governing uniform players contracts, sister-team transactions, and a salary cap, that will protect the integrity of the draft and make sure all player movements and signings are in order. Unfortunately, some member teams have taken advantage of the gray area to pull off sister-team movements and dubious deals at the 11th hour, only because there are 'no rules' to stop them. The PVL must tie those loose ends at the soonest possible time. If not, it will bring more problems to itself and, worse, give more fuel to forces wishing to see it fail.
3) A renaissance for Grand Ol' League
For the longest time, the NCAA wasn’t merely playing second-fiddle to the more popular UAAP when strictly talking about collegiate basketball. It had its own brand and recall. While they weren’t necessarily bigger than the UAAP as a whole, the Grand Ol’ League always had a following, with its tough, no-nonsense approach to college basketball captivating the masses – the perfect foil to UAAP’s more glamorous approach to things. When Kiefer Ravena was dominating the UAAP, there were people talking about how Perpetual’s Scottie Thompson was the best college player at that time. When Ateneo won a five-peat, fans were arguing how San Beda – the NCAA’s own dynasty – could topple that team should they face each other. That’s what we want to happen again. We want these conversations back. We want people talking about how tough and how gritty this league is. We want people debating. And we want it to come organically like it always has in the past. And we could only get people talking again if the league and its TV partner start admitting that they are indeed falling behind, instead of living in their own respective bubbles – thinking that they can go toe-to-toe with the UAAP on most days, and take the casual viewers from them. Perhaps that attack might work if the students and their respective schools care – but save for Arellano and Perpetual, and the through-hell-and-high-water alumni of Letran and San Beda, the support from the community have been dwindling down as well over the past few years.
But all’s not lost. That’s why we’re hoping that the league pivots to the right direction this year and it regains its glory days of old. It starts by first admitting that there is indeed an issue that needs to be solved, and for all stakeholders working hand in hand to address it – from the league, to GMA, to the member schools, and even us, the press covering the league. And no, GMA. Putting in niche artists no one really knows during games, won’t solve that issue.
4) Emergence of new Yulos, Hidilyns in SEA Games
The year 2024 will ultimately go down as the best in Philippine sporting history, and we can say that with certainty with how the country performed at the Olympics this year. Now, we can only hope to sustain that form and it all starts with the upcoming Southeast Asian Games set in Thailand a little less than a year from now this December 2025. Taking home medals is, of course, of utmost importance for the country but our wish is leaning more on the long term: That in this edition of the Southeast Asian Games, we discover new athletes that will carry the fight for the future. Carlos Yulo, EJ Obiena, Aira Villegas, Bianca Pagdanganan and the like are still good and young enough for the next Olympic cycle. But what happens after that? That’s why regional games like this one are so important as these are the events where stars are born and where future world champions and gold medalists are formed. Here’s to hoping we get the next set of world-class national athletes in this biennial meet.
5) Fiba Asia Cup title a realistic target for Gilas Pilipinas?
Gilas Pilipinas is celebrating another banner year that saw it pull off historic victories against world No. 6 Latvia in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament and against the New Zealand Tall Blacks in the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers. Two years removed from winning the country's first Asian Games gold medal in 62 years, Gilas now sets its sights on the Fiba Asia Cup set in Saudi Arabia in August - a tournament it last won in 1985 with a team coached by the late Ron Jacobs and led tournament MVP Allan Caidic and a couple of naturalized players. Of course, the Fiba Asia Cup has become harder to win with the entry of Oceania sides Australia and New Zealand and the emerge of Middle East sides Iran and Lebanon, but nothing is impossible with this tight-knit Gilas side led by Justin Brownlee and coach Tim Cone.
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