Plenty of memories to remember for PH sports as decade draws to a close

By Jonas Terrado

A female weightlifter gave life back to the country’s dream of finally winning an Olympic gold, a legendary boxer figured into high profile fights while dabbling in endeavors outside of the ring while professional cagers saw themselves compete against the world’s best.

Those were some of the moments highlighting Philippine sports in a decade that came to an end, moments many are hoping would springboard into brighter things in the next 10 years.

Hidilyn Diaz became a local icon in 2016 when she captured a silver in the 53-kg category of the Rio Olympics, ending the nation’s 20-year medal drought in the Games.

Her feat raised hopes that the quest for the elusive gold will be achieved, the earliest being the Tokyo Olympics later this year.

Diaz already has momentum in her hands after gold medal triumphs in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia and the recent Southeast Asian Games on home soil.

Manny Pacquiao remained a revered figure in pro boxing despite being outpointed by Floyd Mayweather in their highly-anticipated clash in 2015, a knockout loss to bitter rival Juan Manuel Marquez in their fourth fight in 2012 and a shock defeat to Australian Jeff Horn in 2017.

Pacquiao ended the 2010s battling Father Time, though still has the upper hand following wins over Timothy Bradley, Adrian Broner and Keith Thurman.

In-between his battles in the ring, Pacquiao became a key figure in politics, becoming a two-term representative in Sarangani before being elected senator in 2016. He also had a curious stint as player-coach of the Kia franchise in the PBA before founding the regional league Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.

Philippine basketball finally got its way back to the FIBA World Cup in 2014 after the securing the spot the previous year with a runner-up finish in the Asian Championship held at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Coach Chot Reyes and his determined men led by Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro and Marc Pingris ended its frustration against South Korea by winning the semifinal match that secured Gilas Pilipinas’ place in the World Cup.

Gilas wound up giving fancied teams like Croatia and Argentina a scare before beating Angola in its final match of the 2014 tourney. The stint led to a second one in the 2019 edition held in China, two years after the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas was given by FIBA the right to stage the 2023 in the country.

The PBA saw dominance of San Miguel Beer, the Tim Cone-mentored teams of Barangay Ginebra and the Purefoods franchise and the Alapag and Castro-led Talk ‘N Text while the UAAP and NCAA witnessed Ateneo, San Beda, La Salle and Letran win most of the titles.

The Philippine Azkals became a contender in the Southeast Asian region after the Phil Younghusband and Neil Etheridge, to name a few, led the shock 2-0 upset of Vietnam in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup group stage in Hanoi.

The result signaled a change in the local football landscape which led to four Suzuki Cup semis appearances and a berth in the 2019 Asian Cup.

Women’s volleyball emerged as a sport usually held at small venues like The Arena in San Juan into a spectacle after 19,000 people saw a 2013 UAAP game between rivals La Salle and Ateneo at MOA. Since then, games in the said venue and the Smart Araneta Coliseum are a norm instead of being an exception.

New volleyball heroes emerged during the decade with the likes of Alyssa Valdez, Aby Marano, Mika Reyes and Jaja Santiago taking centerstage as college players and later in the commercial league for either the Philippine Superliga or the Premier Volleyball League.

The Philippines ended a decade mostly filled with disappointments in the SEA Games by claiming the overall title in the 2019 meet held on home soil. Diaz, gymnast Carlos Yulo and boxers Eumir Felix Marcial and Nesthy Petecio were among the athletes who helped the country compile 149 golds.

Source: Manila Bulletin