“Boy C” – as his baseball and softball buddies and associates call him – was a Lifetime Achievement Awardee of the Philippine Sportswriters Association for 2015. It was a fitting award before he crossed the Great Beyond last year.
To say that he was a standout is an understatement of his sports skills.
A national athlete since the mid-sixties, Boy was a slugger and homerun specialist who set milestones in the Guinness sports book of world records. If memory serves me right, he was cited for registering three doubles in a single inning in the World Softball Championships in the early 70s, a feat that up to now has not been erased.
We hobnobbed daily (and nightly) at the Rizal Sports Complex for many years regardless of the season (UM coach Joaquin Sarabia usually joined us). A simple but no-nonsense player during his heydays (he played baseball and basketball in college at UST), he excelled in both softball (men’s) and baseball which led him to become an A-1 national player for many years.
Boy sired a daughter and three sons who all donned PBA uniforms – Harmon (Ginebra), Jerry (Purefoods) and Pat (Ginebra).
I could describe Boy as an ideal sports treasure. Unlike today’s national athletes who are showered with monthly stipends, comfortable dormitories, travel, academic scholarships and other amenities, Boy never complained about the “lack” during his many years as a national athlete.
During those “hungry” training days, Boy narrated to me how national players content themselves with a bottle of Sarsi (costing 5 centavos) and peanut -buttered pandesal (also 5 centavos) for their snacks.
“Masuwerte ang mga national players ngayon kasi may PSC (Philippine Sports Commission) na bumubuhay sa kanila,” said Boy C who, though nominated, unfortunately did not make it as a commissioner of the government sports agency.
He confided that if our sports system would follow the (South) Korean paradigm, the country would win more glory than what it is reaping today (in terms of gold medals and championships in internationally organized competitions like the Asian Games and the Olympics).
Boy C recalled with fondness his stints with the Philippine baseball squad as they fought the tough Koreans in their home ground in Seoul. (Korea has a long-established professional baseball league and is watched more by sports fans than basketball).
“Alam mo, noon mga uniporme nila manipis na tela parang gawa lang sa bahay…walang design, pininturahan lang…very crude. Basta may number at pangalan okey na. Mga sapatos nila, rubber shoes (parang yung ELPO natin) locally made.”
He said the Koreans then made it a national policy not to buy and use imported sports paraphernalia. They made do with what local materials they had and slowly improved on them. Today, they have a self-sustaining and progressive sports industry.
“Look at where they are now. Dami na nila Olympic gold medals…tayo hinahanap pa ang isa,” Boy C, a native of Cebu, lingered with the thought.
Boy also coached the many-time UAAP champions Adamson U collegiate softball (men/women) squads.
I am spotlighting Boy C’s thoughts to make a notable comparison.
In effect, he was describing how starkly different the Philippines and South Korea run their sports programs. The latter appears to be more efficient and effective than the former in terms of ROI and cost efficiency.
Boy C said more than the amenities that the government today is giving Filipino athletes, discipline should be the focus, first and foremost.
“Kulang pa sa disiplina ang ating mga atleta. Madali silang ma-discourage. Kulang pa sa fighting spirit.”
I pray Boy’s unsolicited commentary do not fall on deaf ears.
Omar Khayam, a Persian poet, mathematician and philosopher, wrote: “When I want to understand what is happening today or try to decide what will happen tomorrow, I look back.” (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!
