FASCINATION

     The Filipino fascination for style over substance continues to rear its ugly head not only in the world of entertainment but also in all aspects of Filipino culture. It is very unfortunate
that even the field of athletics and sports , the Filipino's preference for style and glitter seemingly bends all sense of priority or logic. Case in point are the Azkals; football, or soccer as is it
is more commonly called in the country is a sport that is not very well recognized or even played in the country. However, since the influx of multiple fil-foreign players , notably those who
carry with them a more elegant physical presence, the sport and the Azkals as the team is called has gained amazing popularity. All this attention for a team that is ranked a very lowly 158 out of 208; a ranking that
is significantly off the bottom half of the world rankings. Compare this to the attention given to all the athletes who recently competed in the South East Asian Games where the Philippines
finished with a horrendous 6th place, behind the leader Indonesia (which is home to massive religious atrocities), Vietnam (which has yet to fully recover from the 70's war), and even Singapore with a population
of less than 5% of the Philippines! To put it in perspective, the Philippines right in the middle of the 11 nation tournament only ahead of significantly poor and devastated countries such as Myanmar and Cambodia!
To think that supposedly, with our American support and indoctrination, the Philippines should at least be leading the region in sports as much as our American compatriots do in the world. Yet, as results have
constantly shown, the Philippines is way behind even in the field of sports.

     Once again, a large part is due to the lack of support for our own home-grown heroes and athletes where sponsors would rather throw their advertising and support pesos in the direction of
athletes who make better billboard displays. A firm and clear understanding of our priorities, even in the simple world of sports may one day lead our country to greater heights we always dreamed was possible.
The Filipino is indeed capable of higher goals, but in the world of international competition, national support goes a long way in providing the much needed support for our local talents in terms of financial
aid, training, or even just the morale boost that goes with knowing that the Filipino truly does appreciate you, even if you have a local last name. There is time yet to train the next Manny Pacquiao, instead of
importing another Younghusband.