Ahedres

Si Rizal ay mahilig maglaro ng chess.  Filipino ang unang Asian Grandmaster sa Chess.  At usapang chess ang napipinto nating talakayin ngayon.

 

Maraming naghihikayat kay Noynoy na tumakbo bilang presidente sa 2010, kabilang dito ang mga alagad ni Gloria na gusto lamang guluhin ang Partido Liberal.  Chess move.  Si Lito Atienza nag-iingay na siya raw ang dapat sa LP.  Chess move.  Nagdesisyon si Mar Roxas na suportahan na lang si Noynoy para maging stand bearer ng Liberal party.  Chess move.  Hinihintay ngayon ang desisyon ni Noynoy ukol sa pagtakbo sa 2010.  Awaiting chess move.  Kung sakali man tumakbo si Noynoy, labanan ng magpinsan ang lalabas, si Noynoy sa LP at si Gilbert Teodoro sa Lakas-Kampi.  Stalemate.  Kahit papano, nag backfire ang istratehiya ng mga demonyo sa Malakanyang.  Stalemate!

 

Sa ibang dako naman, si Japeth Aguilar ay nagdesisyon na mag backout sa PBA.  Chess move.  Masama ang loob ng Burger King upang balakin nitong i-propose ang lifetime ban kay Japeth.  Chess move.  Balak mag miting ang Board of Governors upang talakayin ang posibleng commitment ulit ng PBA sa FIBA.  Chess move.  Ang desisyon ni Japeth na maglaro sa National Team ay tinututulan ng isang kapitalistang gahaman na katulad ni ginoong Lito Alvarez.  Chess move.  Ngunit hindi natitinag ang kagustuhan ni Japeth na maglaro para sa Bayan.  Check mate! Panalo ang bayang Pilipinas…

 

Ngayon, sino ang makakapagsabi na “politics and sports don’t mix”?

sabi nga ni Atoy Co, the ball is AROUND...

I congratulate Iran for winning the FIBA-Asia Championship.  Not only they defeated China in basketball, it looked like they demolished the Chinese Team.  China looked like a junior team playing a senior team in collegiate basketball.  

A worthy lesson for this year’s edition of FIBA-Asia championships: NBA experience does not guarantee a formidable team in world basketball, unless your national teammate is Lebron James and Kobe Bryant.  Even Kobe and Lebron did have a hard time in Beijing Olympics, and so have Wang Zhizhi and Yi Jianlian last Sunday.  The Iranians took the Chinese team back to school.  Iran’s offense was fluid, their shooting was remarkable, and I even saw 7 footer Ehdadi penetrating for a layup.


Another lesson that team Pilipinas should learn from their 8th place finish in Tianjin is the familiarization to international rules.  The PBA backed team will never ever win in international competitions unless FIBA rules are used in the PBA.  My suggestion is either the PBA use FIBA rules or do not send PBA players to FIBA competitions at all.  Talent wise they are good, but they will always lose.  I am not disparaging them, they all deserve praises for their gallant effort, but their strategy is questionable.  Three months of experience will never win against three years of practice.  We saw that in Iran.  Their moves we very much basic and yet China was not able to stop them.


Yeng Guiao is a good coach but he is not the right man for the job.  FOR SOMEONE WHO INDIRECTLY CONSPIRED WITH A WIFE OF A GAMBLING LORD TO CHEAT A PRIEST IN A LOCAL ELECTION, HE DOES NOT HAVE THE CREDIBILITY TO REPRESENT THIS COUNTRY AS A NATIONAL COACH.  Again, delicadeza should come to mind when we represent the country in international competitions.  Imagine if the opponent lost the game by 2 points and learned that the other coach has a history of cheating, directly or indirectly.  Credibility is always at stake when the pride of the country is at stake.  I would rather lose by 50 points rather than winning dubiously by 2 points.


When in Rome, do what the Romans do.  The world is improving in international basketball.  Why?  They follow the mandate of FIBA.  They use FIBA rules.  They recruit naturalized players.  They TRAIN, years - not months.  Their National Team was composed 3 years ago, not 3 months ago.  They practice all year round, inside and outside the country.  They have mastered the basic skills.  They are NOT relying on 3 point shots alone.  They are doing what our basketball team has been ignoring for decades.  Stick to basics, and not for showmanship.  Everybody has talent, some are more talented than others, but basketball is still a five man game.  What you do in the court should depend on what your teammates can do, unless if you are Michael Jordan resurrected.  We can win again in Asia if we put the right attitude, and right attitude means following directions – in this case – FIBA rules.  And who knows, we might just get a naturalized player or two for mandatory reasons and not by necessity.


You lose some, you win some.  Losing is ugly, it diminishes confidence.  When you are not confident enough, your body will be hounded by the tension of losing, even if you have all the talent to succeed.  


In basketball, the ball is round.  But you will never lose your confidence to win if you know how the ball will roll…

Ronaldinho slowly inching his way back into the field

After a disappointing 2007-2008 campaign where his season ended prematurely with injury and the much-publicized disagreement with his team FC Barcelona, Ronaldinho decided to sign up with AC Milan in the hopes of forgetting his bitter fallout with Spanish league giants.


Never has Ronaldinho’s career experienced a downward slope since his first professional stint with Gremio in Brazil, his first international experience in FIFA U-17 World Championship in 1997, and a solid performance in 2002 World Cup where Brazil emerged champions.  It seems that the craze and the rush of adrenaline Ronaldinho has brought to spectators every single game he has played on would catch the whole world forever.  Even more mesmerizing was his tremendous achievement when he started to play in Barcelona in 2003, helping the team secure second place finish in the league during the same year, and capturing the league title for the following two years - 2004 and 2005 - and also winning him the FIFA player of the year in 2004.  He put Barcelona on top of the European football map within 2 years after he signed up with the Catalan team, aside from individual awards and accolades he received.


2006 – Downhill Onwards


After Brazil’s disastrous 2006 World Cup campaign where they were eliminated by France, things all went downhill for Ronaldinho.  He was partly blamed, not only by his fellow Brazilians but also by soccer enthusiasts, for the team’s failure to capture the World Cup trophy with Brazil’s formidable line-up - watched by envious coaches who have dreamed of a fearsome team similar with that of the Selecão.  He was dropped from the 2007 line-up, was suspended one time on an FC Barcelona game, and had disagreement with them following his 2008 Olympic Games commitment for Brazil and the Champions League for Barcelona. 


A muscle tear on his right leg ended abruptly his 2007-08 season for Barcelona.  He was reported having fought verbally with his coach Frank Rijkaard and things went to worst when FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta hinted indirectly that Ronaldinho needed to leave the club and seek greener pastures elsewhere.  Speculations of his indiscipline, training negligence, and partying ways have also contributed to the factors leading to his career’s sudden crash.   


Enter An Italian renaissance


As soon as Ronaldinho was leaked as up for grabs, there were a few notable clubs who where interestedly after him.  Inter Milan and even Manchester City of former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra has openly signifying their intention to get him.  Even Chelsea and Real Madrid had secretly hoped that they would catch this talented football superstar; hoping things would turn around for the better for their club, even if Ronaldinho is still in his off-form.  Ronaldinho decided to sign with AC Milan even if Manchester offered more money, ending months of speculations on his move and his preferred team jersey.  Apparently, he was seeing red and black all the time. 


With Brazilian teammates Kaka, Alexander Pato, Dida, and Emerson, and the arrival of superstar David Beckham on loan from LA Galaxy, AC Milan, for now, might have what it takes to win the league title and a stint at the Champions’ league where they missed out last year.  Although Ronaldinho is still way off from his deadly form, the whole team is very much optimistic to see his old self, not merely humiliating his opponent guard with his dribbling skills but also contributing on the success of the team, just like what happened to mediocre Barcelona before his arrival.


While some Barcelona fans are mourning for Ronaldinho’s departure, keep in mind that in the world of football, particularly in big leagues wherein they throw lots of money, 3 years of excellence can never be an assurance even if there is a small dip in performance.  It doesn’t matter at how many goals you’ve scored a single game, because when everything is messed up, you will always be the scapegoat, just as what happened to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, and Beckham.  Even if Ronaldinho helped push Barcelona to a higher level, he was nearly forgotten and dropped instantly when his skills dropped considerably.  And as one door closes, another window of opportunity opens, and usually for someone whose talent and determination still inspires to be successfully on top, Ronaldinho will have his way back into football glory. 

Prestige and Class

While surfing channels looking for local news, I stumbled upon the live broadcast of the UAAP Finals. Although I am not a certified “UAAP student” (i had a brief three an a half year stint with an NCAA school in the 90's), this year's finals had drawn unimaginable crowd.

Ateneo versus De La Salle.

Two prestigious schools. Two schools with a standard above the rest of the educative communities around Philippines. Two bitter rivals for the past decades, from the hard court to the business to the political jungle, alumni of both schools have been haggling it out between themselves on who went to the better school. Their distaste for each other have been immortalized from the NCAA where both schools had started and has continued until today. So, the battle for the basketball championship became interesting in a sort of way, fueling up the rivalries for the green and blue-blooded fanatics.

I was never that attentive of the UAAP happenings, except for last night, I think. The fact that I was an NCAA student, and a little bit of bitterness on my part for having not pursued to study at probably both schools(financial constraints) might have contributed to my lack of interest of the games. Even in college, I seldom watch the games, which is ironic since I came from a High School with 5 basketball courts(excluding the gymnasium), having also a football field and a swimming pool. It's not that I am unsupportive of my school but the games during that time really does have that disinteresting taste in them.  I hated our high-flying, slam-dunking all-star player, who does not have an idea where the West is. Yes, I bought tickets for the NCAA games before, and then I showed them to my PE Instructor, which would be the equivalent of 1 session's attendance, and then I went to the malls.

Last night was probably an exception. I was glued to the channel at the start of the 4th quarter, when the game where very much close since only 3 points separates the two teams. I do not have any idea about the dramatics during the early part of the game. I was merely a neutral spectator, watching the intensity of the game, the players, and the crowd at Araneta.

So, it was startling to witness how De La Salle “snubbed” the awarding ceremonies after the game. I know, it was a bitter pill the swallow - losing against an arch rival, perhaps questionable officiating as seen from other people's points-of-view, humiliation in front of your worst enemy – these are the things that a proud warrior would never wanted to happen.

I remember the saying I saw in one of the basketball courts I played years ago, printed on the walls, although I could not remember where. It goes like this:

“God does not look at how many points you have scored, rebounds you have snatched, or assists you have given... it's how you played the game...”

Obviously, we can easily achieve PRESTIGE, but we cannot teach CLASS.

Pati ba naman sa Sports...

Binabati ko si Willy Wang sa pagkapanalo niya ng gintong medalya sa Beijing.

Pero teka muna, bago tayo magpunyagi sa tagumpay ng ating kakabayan, may gusto lang akong iparating sa ating “MAHAL” na gobyerno:

PUNYETA kayo! Wag nyong pinaglololoko ang mga Filipino!

Hindi kami BOBO para hindi maintindihan ang ibig sabihin ng salitang “OLYMPIC Event” at “TOURNAMENT”. Si Willy ay nanalo sa Wushu Tournament na ginanap sa Beijing din mismo, na nagkataong isinabay doon din sa pinag-ganapan ng katatapos lamang na Olympics. Hindi rin kami BOBO para maniwalang Olympic Event ang Wushu dahil hindi ito naka lista sa talaan ng Medal Tally sa Olympics. Nagpapaniwala kayo sa Tsina na mahigit limandaang taon na tayong pinaglololoko. Hindi naman kami TANGA upang maniwala na ginamit na lugar ng pagdadausan ng torneo ang Beijing para magmukhang saklaw ito ng Olympics.

Kung Olympics lang naman ang usapan, eh, sa tingin nyo kaya makukuha natin ang gintong medalya sa Wushu, na isang laro na nagmula sa Tsina mismo? Kung Olympic event yan, sa tingin nyo kaya may pag-asa tayo sa mga intsik sa Wushu? WALA maski isa. Siguradong gagawan ng paraan ng Tsina na makuha nila ang gintong medalya dyan, sa anumang paraan, upang ipandagdag sa medal tally nila sa Olympics upang ipakita sa buong mundo ang kanilang kakaibang galing sa larangan ng palakasan.

Hindi sa binabalewala natin ang tagumpay na nakamit ni Willy Wang, pero sana wag na po tayong sumakay sa pagkapanalo niya kasi wala naman tayong naitulong. SARILING SIKAP ng tao kung bakit siya nanalo sa paligsahan. Wag na po tayong sumakay sa kasikatan ng tao, kung noong bago siya sumali sa paligsahan eh ni katiting na pansin hindi ninyo magawang ibigay. Pagkatapos ngayong nanalo siya nagkukumahog kayong magmalaki na para bang kayo ang pangunahing dahilan ng tagumpay ni Willy. Wag na kayong magpapapogi, kung pwede lang! Kahit magpa plastic surgery pa kayo kay Dra. Belo, hindi na matatakpan ang kapapalkan ninyo, kahit sa larangan ng Sports. Kaya pala translation ng SPORTS sa Tagalog ay PALAKASAN - palakasan ng impluwensiya at pakapalan ng mukha pala ang ibig sabihin nito.

Kung pwede lang, patahimikin na ninyo ang sambayanang Filipino! Pati ba naman sa SPORTS ginagawan ninyo ng kasinungalingan at katarantaduhan? Maawa naman kayo sa sarili ninyo, kahit huwag na samin. Hindi naman kami ang babalikan ng karapatang parusa pagdating ng paghuhukom. Kung gusto ninyo, si Manny Pacquiao na lang ang uto-utuin ninyo. Siya na lang ang gamitin ninyo kung sa tingin ninyo ay maibabalik sa inyo ang tiwala ng sambayanang Filipino. Wag na kayong mandamay ng inosente...

Binabati ko ulit si Willy Wang sa kanyang tagumpay! Sana lang hindi siya mauto ng pamahalaan natin katulad ng milyong milyong Filipino na nauto nila simula pa nung 2001.

Let the BLAMES begin...

It looks like it will be a medal shut-out as the Olympics is on its final week of competitions! This is the result of continuous bickering between our Sports Officials that has been prevalent since 1986. Never has the Filipino Athletes been so humiliated that even countries who cannot even provide decent sports equipment to their athletes were competitively better than ours. So much for our leaders' intentional false hopes for the nation and bold predictions about winning a gold medal when competing for the just the bronze weren't even achievable.

And so the government shall just keep the 15-million peso incentive and use it for their own purposes. Forget about long-term solutions like the necessary budget allotment for the training and benefits of athletes. At least there wont be anymore press releases and commendations in Malacañang, with the government intentionally riding on the athletes' popularity for personal beautification purposes, trying to minimize it's damaged reputation. There won't be ticker tape parades which stalls traffic within Manila roads, and positively, we will be denied of those politicians more actively waving than those who sweat-ed it out competing against the world's best athletes.

With the whole world improving on their training methods, with even the Kenyans whom before, their track and field team virtually trains barefoot, our athletes took a backslide, because it is much more interesting to watch sports leaders fighting it out with each other. Only a handful were able to train harder, particularly those US-born, fed, and studied in American NCAA schools, rich kids who can pay for their expenses in international competitions, luckily-sponsored sportsmen even donning his sponsor logo occupying the whole of his shorts all the way to the buttocks side, while the others are contented with measly allowances, unable to cope up with the soaring prices of fuel, food allowances that can pass up as food rations for disaster victims in a Rescue Center, while the bulk of the government's budget are being used in the travel expenses of our dearly beloved, I mean, MOST EXPENSIVE LEADER (pinakamamahal na pangulo).

image from www.gmanews.tv site used by plorwaks

And today's news featured anew the Pilate-eous acts of our Sports Officials - washing their hands from all these failures. These very same Sports Officials who were bold enough to predict our positive chances for the first gold medal harvest in Beijing. These very same official who hugged the limelight prior to the games, confident of our chances to show the world how we “have” already improved on the our training in connection to our competitive involvement in the Olympic events. These very same officials who sits in their air-conditioned office almost eight hours a day, thinks of something beneficial for the good of the sports program yet doesn't know anything about the sports. This has always been our country's dilemma whenever we put some politician to lead our sports agencies. How can someone who cannot even shoot the ball learn how to coach?

As the Games is about to end this Sunday, and with the imminent failure of our athletes – not necessarily their fault - to improve their performance, another epic battle will happen within our sports agencies:

Let the BLAMES begin...