OKAY, we won one, nearly won another, and lost badly in still another. Are these three games worth P2 billion? Because that's what the country spent in hosting the FIVB Men’s World Volleyball Championship.
Sports officials are rejoicing as though our men’s volleyball team had just completed a fairy-tale finish and had run off with the championship.
Yes, I am one with every Filipino celebrating a victory over Egypt and for nearly toppling Asian powerhouse Iran. But I really think we should temper our celebration because these two teams are not exactly the cream of the crop.
READ Gregorio proud to see Alas punch above its weight
We got mauled by Tunisia, scraped past Egypt, and scared Iran. But these aren't exactly cause for jumping up and down, not if, in return for these accomplishments, we paid a scandalous amount for a 17-day event.
When you think about it, Alex Eala has accomplished more in projecting the country in the eyes of the world than Alas Pilipinas, and she did it at a budget that is billions less.
Eala beat three major champions at the tough Miami Open where she advanced to the semifinals — a 1000 WTA event just a level below Wimbledon, the Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open; reached the finals in one tournament; then won in Mexico. She got the country on the map. The tennis world knows us because of her.
Now, say which athletes contributed to making Filipinos prouder? Alas, which won one game; or Eala, who has not played a single home event but who has been making history as the country’s top tennis player?
Sports officials, like Patrick 'Pato' Gregorio, chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission, are going gaga over Alas Pilipinas’ near win over Iran, as though the Iranians were world volleyball champions.
“Very timely that we show the world that Filipinos can produce world-class talent in other sports besides weightlifting, gymnastics, and boxing. We also show them our world-class hospitality as a premium stage for global sports events. Lumalaki ang oportunidad para sa lahat kapag nagho-host tayo ng global sports events,” Gregorio strutted.
What a joke. He rationalizes a P2-billion spend over a two-week period with one win and one near win.
Wake up, everyone. No matter how you look at it, for people like us who have suffered from failed flood-control projects, a bad economy, limited road infrastructure, unlimited corrupt public officials, and nightmarish daily traffic jams, officials spending P2 billion on an international volleyball tournament is insulting and painful.
What P2 billion could do
Just think of what P2 billion could have done for Philippine volleyball itself!
For a fraction of that amount, the entire local men’s team could have undergone months, even years, of training, hired a team of foreign coaches, competed in several tournaments abroad, and perhaps primed itself for the Southeast Asian Games in December.
And there would still have been money left over! Which could be spent for a genuine and sustained sports development program.
But, now, because we won one volleyball game and nearly won another, Gregorio wants the country to host more international events!
“Hosting the event certainly had a major, direct impact on team performance, boosting confidence, morale, and overall development,” said Gregorio, a former PBA chairman, in an interview with SPIN ph. "The motivation gained from playing at home, in front of our own crowd, pushes our athletes to perform beyond their limits — inspiring a determination that overseas tournaments don’t quite provide.”
Look at this guy justify the unjustifiable. What he should do is initiate an investigation of Ramon Suzara, president of the Philippine National Volleyball Association, who landed us in this situation. Suzara made the bid to host the event, got it, and paid FIVB $25 million (P1.4 billion in local currency).
Let us remind Gregorio that hosting international events is not the key to growing sports excellence. He might've forgotten that the country hosted the FIBA World Cup a few years ago, and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) paid FIBA $34 million (yes, also in US dollars!) just for the hosting rights alone and spent billions more in pesos to run the event.
Did Philippine basketball improve overnight? Did tourists flock to the Philippines by the thousands because they saw how the country hosted the FIBA World Cup?
Point is: Sports officials should learn to handle the people's money better. Hosting big sports events often requires government guarantees, which means they use taxpayers' money.
And yet, there is proof that sports events can be mounted for free.
Take the case of golf. Next month the country will host the International Series Philippines to be played at the Sta. Elena Golf Club from October 23-26.
It will feature former golf major champions like Patrick Reed, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, and Bubba Watson. Also participating are some of Asia’s and Europe’s best players and the country’s top stars, including Miguel Tabuena and Justin Quiban.
And know this: The country and the hosts are not paying a single centavo. They will bring an event to the country that will allow local fans to witness golf at its highest level of play. And there will be a prize money of US $2 million. And none of this will come from our pockets! All of it will come from the pockets of the organizers, the Asian Tour.
What's more, the venue will be open, for no fee, in the first two rounds. The third and fourth rounds may end up having an entry fee, but I won’t be surprised if they end up simply opening the gates for all.
This is the way to go. No money taken from local hosts, which means no money taken from hardworking, taxpaying citizens! And yet, lo and behold, our people get to witness a world-class tournament.
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