WE ring in another sporting year filled with hope for more great achievements by Filipino athletes and more momentous moments to enjoy and chronicle on the home front.
We all have New Year's wish lists; here is ours.
Paris Olympic dream
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics saw weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz end a decades-long wait for the Philippines' first-ever Olympic gold medal, so why not another golden moment in Paris this year. It's not easy, but it's not a stretch neither. We're in an era where world-class Filipino athletes abound. It could come from gymnast Carlos Yulo, or Eumir Marcial, or pole-vaulter EJ Obiena, or Diaz again. Let's hope and pray it comes.
PVL draft and salary cap
Without a doubt, the Premier Volleyball League games are the hottest tickets in town and the league itself is the fastest-growing in the country. But the PVL needs to put in safeguards before things get out of hand. Already, salaries are skyrocketing and some team owners are already grumbling over the stiff price of renewing star players' contracts. Meet their asking price - or watch as they head elsewhere. One team has folded, another top team isn't happy with its players' demands. The PVL needed a salary cap and rookie draft yesterday. So let's get crackin'.
End to PBA 'farm teams'
The PBA's problems are mounting, its popularity sagging. And it's no accident. Fans can smell a rat after every bum deal. The trust rating of its officials at an all-time low. Its list of problems is quite long; unfair trades, salary cap violations, lack of parity; collusion among sister teams. It will take quite a bit of house cleaning to make the league better, but eliminating 'farm teams' will be a big first step. Teams with deeper pockets and shrewd officials will always try to get the best players and put up the best teams, but if there are no 'farm teams' cooperating, that's half the problem solved.
UAAP parity
It's sad to see the UAAP starting to go the way of the PBA, its league now plagued by a worsening imbalance and a recruitment war that has become too one-sided in favor of a few teams backed by obscene alumni backing. Before it's too late, the UAAP board must show a deep commitment to change for the better and the Commissioner's Office must take the lead and come up with the road map. At this time, we're seeing none of that.
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