Is the Olympics bigger
than the world?

It was heartwarming, indeed. That was the fight between our country’s young Mark Anthony Barriga and the much taller and older man from Kazakhstan whom he tangled with at the Olympics Saturday night. At first I was impressed to hear that the judges all came from different countries. It was also underscored that none of them were Asian, and neither was the referee, who was a Canadian. I thought to myself, there will be no chance of monkey business here, not in the caliber of those of the Pacquiao-Bradley group.

***

Before the second round was over, however, I began to have doubts about the capability of the judges. Or of the referee, as well. He seemed not to do anything when the Kazakhstan started hugging or pushing Barriga, and clasping him – tricks that, from all the Pacquiao games I have watched personally and closely in Las Vegas, were never ignored by the referees. As for the judges, were they really experienced ones, and not as befuddled as the silly trio that fell in love with Tim Bradley?

***

Barriga lost by just one point. He was deducted TWO points. Were those deducted legit, as far as the disciplined is concerned? They did spell the difference, you see. Our people complained, but were ignored. I recall that in another boxing match, the decision had been reversed. Well, what are the remaining three of our athletes out there waiting for? They better start packing for home already. Eight of the eleven have already bitten the dust of London. And their personal records do not seem to indicate an edge over the ones they are scheduled to contend with. The most we can wait for, alas, is a miracle.

***

Meanwhile, is the Olympics bigger than the world? So far, two of the world’s most bemedalled and famous among its tennis players, have been beaten by other Olympic bets. The comely and attractive Maria Sharapova of Russia, who confessed that getting into the Olympics was her greatest dream, found to her dismay that it is another territory. She lost badly to a woman from Great Britain first, and then to Serena Williams. I noticed that even when she was playing against the Briton, there will still many people rooting for her. She really cuts a great figure in court, all 6 feet one of her.

***

And there was Roger Federer, the seemingly unbeatable tennis ace from Switzerland. He also lost to a British player who, I understand had earlier beaten in another match. He fared very badly against the British Andy Murray, who compatriots continued to cheer on by chanting his name “Murray, Murray, Murray!” giving him a big booster, I believe. To think that only very recently, Federer was beating everyone who came his way in world matches. The Olympics is not his venue, apparently.

***

As I noted here before, it is very touching to hear the national anthem of a champion being sung at the medal awarding rites. And it is more moving when the athletes join in the singing, with their right hands properly placed upon their left breast, right over the heart. I noted this with the American girls who won the swimming events, but only a few of the men did it. The multi-awarded Michael Phelps (18 golds so far, with four others, to add up to 22) also was not singing, but just grinning there, seeming to prove what the grapevine is saying about his personality defects. Another one, tennis champion Serena Williams also did not sing, she just kept smiling and looking at the audience. Nothing patriotic-looking about that, as I see it.

***

By the way, the British were so delighted with the victory of their Murray over Federer that one of the commentators gushed “This is the brightest day in the history of British tennis!” Indeed, the sun was shining brightly over the games, as it had done in the early days. The Lord must like Olympic games too. He gave it good weather. He must also like the United States, it has upped its medal count and, so far has kept the top post in the games.

***

In the meantime, the former president of Fiji, Lausenia Querase, who had been ousted for corruption by a military coup, has already been charged for corruption. Which reminds me – our former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, has reportedly returned to the Veterans hospital with some ailment, still connected with her throat. Is it true she had only choked on a bite of melon? Reports say she may move to the Makati Medical Center. What about the millions in bills for her security paid by Quezon City that its Mayor Herbert Bautista is dunning them for?*

back to top