EDITORIAL - Potentials

From our tropical country, the lone participant in the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia picked figure skating as his sport. Michael Christian Martinez placed 19th in the competition at the Iceberg Skating Palace. But his performance still impressed Filipinos, and highlighted the potentials and challenges for those who hope to win Olympic medals for the Philippines.

The 17-year-old Martinez became passionate about the sport at an early age, practicing on the ice rinks of SM shopping malls and then finding sponsors to shoulder most of the hefty bills for training and competing overseas. Figure skating is an Olympic event where victory is based largely on grace and skills, with no advantage enjoyed by taller or heavier competitors. It is an event where Filipinos can excel.

There are other Olympic events where a lighter weight can be an advantage, such as gymnastics. The performance of Martinez raises possibilities for training budding Filipino gymnasts for Olympic competition.

As in all athletic activities, however, figure skating requires rigorous discipline and training, which can be costly for the average Filipino family. Relatives of Martinez have been supportive of his interest but have sought a lot of outside help to finance his training. Foreign coaches and training sites don’t come cheap.

Similar stories of funding problems have been heard over the years from the handful of Filipinos who have reaped honors for the country in international competitions and professional sports. Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao rose to the top mostly on his own effort. His victories and endorsements sustained his continuing training to be Number One.

The Philippines may not have the resources that other countries pour into developing their promising athletes, whose training typically starts from early childhood. But the Philippines can pick a few athletic events where Filipinos have a good chance of winning, and develop potential participants. Martinez has shown that figure skating can be one of these events. Philippine sports authorities, with support from private sponsors, can start developing stars in this field.