’Twas a good year for Phl bets – Garcia

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia looked at the positive side in assessing the country’s overall performance in the year that’s about to end.

“It was a productive year,” he said during yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s Malate.

Garcia explained that while there were misses in some fronts, there were moments when the Filipino athlete shone in the international arena.

Last August, archer Luis Gabriel Moreno won the country’s first gold medal in the second Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.

In September, Fil-American BMX rider Daniel Caluag bagged the gold in the 17th Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.

Then last month, a couple of jiu-jitsu fighters, Annie Ramirez and Maybelline Masuda, won gold medals in the fourth Asian Beach Games in Phuket, Thailand.

Garcia said that Filipino athletes are still out competing in the final weeks of the year.

“I’m happy to announce that as we close the year we are still winning medals overseas. Even before the year ends our athletes are still competing,” he said.

“It was a productive year. We are very happy with the performance. Not everyone will share that but we stand by our athletes. It was a good year,” Garcia added.

Garcia looked back at the Asian Games where the country fell short of its expectations. As chef-de-mission of the Philippine team, he predicted seven gold medals for the Pinoy bets.

“We did not win the number of gold medals we wanted to win but there’s no one to blame but the breaks of the game. Finger-pointing should stop,” he said.

“You cannot blame the coach, the athlete or the PSC. You cannot win all the time. I was disappointed but not mad. As long as our athletes give their best we should be proud of them,” Garcia added.

The failure of Gilas Pilipinas to reach the semis of the basketball competition in the Asian Games also broke the hearts of many Filipinos.

“We cannot judge the status or situation of Philippine sports based on one event (Asian Games) alone. It will have to be assessed based on the entire year,” Garcia said.

But he did not point the finger at anyone.