WITH the collegiate season less than a month away, it's safe to say we won't be seeing the next Carlos Yulo or Hidilyn Diaz in the UAAP and the NCAA.
Gymnastics and weightlifting, the two sports where the Philippines got its only three gold medals, still won't be part of UAAP Season 87 or NCAA Season 100. So won't boxing, another event in the quadrennial meet where Filipinos tend to do well.
That doesn't mean that the three sports won't be there sometime soon, however.
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"Nagkaroon na ng query about adding them for Season 100. Wala lang muna ngayon, but in the future, we're not closing the door. We just have to make sure na sustainable siya," said management committee member Hercules Callanta of NCAA host school Lyceum.
Fire was lit under both the NCAA management committee and UAAP Board of Managing Directors after the Philippines' historic performance in the Paris Olympics, where it wound up as the best-performing Southeast Asian country.
"Ang nakakatuwa ngayon, merong initiative from the members themselves. Sila na nagtanong. At least, yung efforts ng ating Olympians are now being noticed," said UAAP Executive Director Atty. Rene Andrei "Rebo" Saguisag.
"Siyempre, ngayon lang, pa-start na yung season natin, so nagkaroon lang tayo ng serious move to reconsider (adding the three sports)."
It also doesn't hurt that the league's broadcast partners expressed interest, too, with GMA and Cignal asking about the possibility of adding gymnastics, weightlifting, and boxing to the collegiate calendar.
Still a mountain to climb
While interest is there, it's another matter altogether to put the pieces together.
Adding events means adding new programs - and it wasn't too long ago that some member-schools had to shutter some programs due to budgetary constraints.
"Before, nagkaroon na rin naman ng interest (to add the three sports), especially nung nag-medal si Hidi. Kaya lang, came the pandemic so some teams were disbanded. Mahirap talaga," said Saguisag.
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"Actually, the challenge really comes from the individual member-schools who have to form and maintain new teams. That's an expense on their part e; scholarships, uniforms, fees."
Aside from that, for a new sport to be added to the collegiate calendar, at least half of the league's member-schools have to compete in it - meaning four in the UAAP and five in the NCAA.
"Actually, the NCAA is looking forward to including those events, except that the problem is budget. Artistic gymnastics, equipment pa lang, it costs a lot. Weightlifting, same thing. All of those are quite demanding in terms of budget," said Callanta.
"And you have to remember, NCAA schools aren't as big as UAAP schools. The NCAA, right now, after the pandemic, we're just slowly going back to how it was before. Right now, Season 100, we're happy to already be back to full-blast as to where we were before pandemic."
Without a doubt, collegiate leagues are willing to set up stages for student-athletes in less followed - also read as non-televised - events to shine.
But of course, the grassroots will need help in making sure its soil is, and remains, fertile.
"Kami, we'll be ready to receive them barring budgetary demands. Maybe the PSC (Philippine Sports Commission) can help propagate these sports by providing assistance to grassroots programs, so these sports can find their way to athletic competitions," said Callanta.
Indeed, there needs to be all hands on deck for more paths to be paved for young talents interested in competing in sports where Yulo and Diaz made Filipinos proud.
"Right now, na thankfully, mostly nakabawi na tayo from the pandemic, times have changed and it really is something we have to reconsider. The good thing is, sa decision-makers ng liga na mismo nanggaling (ang interest), so mas may momentum na ngayon," said Saguisag.
We won't be seeing the next Yulo or Diaz in UAAP Season 87 or NCAA Season 100. If all falls into place, though, maybe, just maybe, they'll be coming in the foreseeable future.
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