The party after

Well, it’s over now. It was a sad moment when the Olympic flame in the midst of the celebration was gradually extinguished, but even as its fire slowly died down, those who watched wondered if there will ever be such a wonderful, beautiful and totally enjoyable edition of the Games in their lifetime. Everything progressed so cleanly, so seamlessly, that one wondered how the organizers anticipated everything so perfectly.

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Up to very late last night, the closing party was still going on, with Great Britain sparing no expense nor any of its talents to present a show befitting one of the oldest civilizations in the world, and a leader in art and culture. What a dazzling display of lights, color, talents and tricks. One could only gape at the wondrous displays Britain’s artists had thought up to amuse and amaze, not only the thousands that had gathered in person, but the millions – the estimate was 300 million – all over the world watching on TV.

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It was unforgettable, and, as so many of those who commented on it agreed, it truly boosted Great Britain several notches up in the estimation of the world. During the entire staging of the games, one suddenly remembered what a great power England had been in history, when it led other countries in both trade and culture in both land and sea. The closing party, indeed, demonstrated that it is still to be matched as far as music and talent are concerned.

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There was also the admirable way in which all the events were staged. Everything seemed to be so orderly and organized, so that no hitches were noticeable. Thus, there were some instances of disqualifications or cancellations, but these were handled quietly and efficiently. It was also impressive, the way the awarding of medals was processed. Almost as soon as the contest was over, the winners were immediately lined up to be imposed their medals, handed their bouquets – a beautiful touch – then propelled to where they had their photo opportunities, and marched off.

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Something that could not be missed in the delegations that came to the London Olympics was the mixture of races in most of the countries represented. Hardly could one see a team that consisted only of natives of the country. One could see Asians, Africans, and other nationalities that have merged with the Americas and Europe, And to the great credit of the host country, all races were welcomed equally and appreciated for their talents and contributions to the event. Is discrimination fading at last, and has sports been responsible for that?

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One of the most exciting phases for me were the basketball events, and the game I was really awaiting all the while was that between Spain and the United States where two of my favorite NBA players, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, are on opposite teams this time. Pau and his brother Marc, being Spaniards, are on the Spanish team, and Kobe, being American, in the U.S. group. What a great disappointment it was when I missed it, thinking they were to play much later. It turned out they were scheduled earlier, so I was shocked to learn that it was over, with the U.S. barely making it.

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I did manage to see the replay, and maybe it was fortunate that I missed the actual game, seeing how suspenseful it was, even if really did not take sides. But, just between us girls, I did hope the U.S. would win, so it would be the champion. I enjoyed watching the awarding, and was touched when my two idols hugged each other, both after their game, and after the awarding. All was well, after all.

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It looked as if Spain had a lot of fans during the game, they were quite boisterous in cheering for their team. But the Americans had former California governor and movie actor Arnold Shwarzehnegger very obviously rooting for them. Meanwhile, don’t you feel sad to see such countries as Gabun (where is it) Trinidad Tobago, Grenada, Tunisia, listed among those with at least ONE medal? And our country does not even have one, nor has it gotten any in, I think, three or four Olympic encounters already? That is why I strongly believe President Aquino should be urged to look farther for more committed and talented sports officials, because the ones we keep recycling are long past their prime now but still hungry for power and attention.*

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