Sports brings the world together

The Paris Olympic Games has not yet ended but it is already the most successful one for the Philippines. Sports is a highly competitive activity and success is measured in the number of victories. I have been watching the Olympic Games despite the time difference between Paris and the Philippines. It is very refreshing to witness how the country has become unified by the medals that have been won and are expected to be won by our athletes.

The man of the hour is, of course, Carlos Yulo, the Filipino gymnast who has won two gold medals, a feat never achieved in Philippines sports history.

Our first Olympic gold medal was won by Hidilyn Diaz in weightlifting during the last Olympics in Tokyo. Hidilyn came from a very economically deprived family but was able to lift herself out of the clutches of poverty through hard work and perseverance. She was able to finish her education in the College of Saint Benilde and is now a full-fledged instructor in the same college.

Watching Carlos Yulo win his two gold medals was an experience I am sure I shared with millions of Filipinos. I also felt an emotional high hearing the Philippine National Anthem played two days in a row in the jampacked gymnastics stadium. The sight of the Philippine flag being raised at the same time was worth the waiting.

As an aside, Yulo has become an overnight celebrity in the country. Aside from being celebrated, he has now become the victim of salacious gossip and family fights waged in the public eye. It is unfortunate that this magical moment had to be marred by all these family intrigues. But I guess this is the price of being a celebrity in this country. It happens to people in the entertainment industry, politicians, socialites and now, prominent sports celebrities.

I think, however, we should not let these family issues and gossip lessen the magnificence of Yulo’s achievement even by international standards.

One of the rewards of an athlete’s international victory is that it also brings honor and prestige to the homeland of the sports medal winners. I notice that the Philippines, as of this writing, is the only Southeast Asian country that has won gold medals. Even our neighbors in Asia