Good advice to
Mark from Manny

How can I resist saying “I told you so”? After watching the boxing match between our country’s Mark Anthony Barriga and the old man from Kazakhstan, and being shocked at the way the referee was behaving, I find that I was not the only one dismayed, if not affronted. These past few days, several sports officials and aficionados have also been cursing both the judges and the referee, who either did not know what he was supposed to do, or was openly biased in favor of the Kazakhs man.

***

But their protests were to no avail, the officiating group did not even look through their complaint. For them whatever the referee said, and what the judges confirmed, was that. Maybe it is our destiny to be cheated through judging or refereeing. But it was very good of Manny Pacquiao to give Barriga some words of advice. After all, Pacquiao himself had gone through some defeats early in his career, and a blatant deception from the judges during his latest fight. In his case, however, he had the consolation of having no less than FIVE officials of the World Boxing Organization reviewing the tapes of his fight, and unanimously declaring that he had won it.

***

Meanwhile the Olympic presentations are getting more and more sophisticated and delightful to watch. I’m not talking about those throwing or grunting events, but the later water ballets (forgot what their official title is) where the female dancers, in pairs, perform dances in the water. As of this writing, it was not yet known who had won, but I was spellbound by the show of the two sexy French girls, who swimmingly danced to the music of Swan Lake. Also enchanting was the duo from Spain, who performed to what sounded to me like the exciting “Cumparsita”.

***

Those were really beautiful shows, and one could not help being amazed at their ability to keep in time, while keeping afloat. You could see their long legs clashing like scissors above water, or their arms flipping, hands stretching out towards the sky, while spectators oohed and aahed. Oh, it has just been announced – the synchronized swimming (so that was its name) was won by Russia. Between us girls, I did not like their number more than the French one. Oh, well, who knows what the judges were looking for? Surely not something as simple as what I saw, and admired.

***

It has been set: Usain Bolt is the fastest runner and Michael Phelps is the fastest swimmer in the world, and they have proven it over and over. But Bolt no longer looks like the skinny and wiry fellow who wowed them all in Beijing. He has gained a lot of weight and at first looked as it he would no longer be as fleet of foot as he used to be. But he proved his doubters wrong, he still bolts off at every race as if powered by lightning. Do we have any of his caliber somewhere in our countrysides or hinterlands? Maybe our sports officials, unless they are now too old or too lazy, should look farther than just the tip of their blunt noses to spot the gifted ones in this country.

***

Although we were somewhat shortchanged in the judging and refereeing in the boxing event of our boy in the Olympics, we should be glad that we did not suffer the humiliation of those who were disqualified or canceled out for some violations. A runner was stricken out as soon as the race started because she began before the shot was sounded. A gold medal winner was stripped of it because he failed a drug test. So far, with our meager participation, no one has suffered that fate.

***

While the rest of the world is focusing on London and the exciting competition of the Olympics, our people in Manila are concerned over the rampaging floodwaters that had displaced thousands of them as of last night. I already heard from some Pro-Life people that this is one way of reminding those officials who are forcing the Reproductive Health (kuno!) Bill down the throats of Filipinos about their folly. Knowing the mentality of those solons, I would not be surprised if they point to the evacuees and say the gaggle of babies with them justifies their support for the bill.

***

As we sympathize with the flood victims in Manila and parts of Luzon, let us not be complacent, and make sure that we will not be caught unprepared in the event that the constant rains we are experiencing also bring floodwaters. Don’t forget, therefore to recall the precautions, and as the Boy Scouts say: Be Prepared.*

back to top