“He is a hopeless case. He is a problem. Yung Dragon boat (pertaining to the PHL Dragon boat team), track and field, at table tennis sinira nya.” (statement of Senator Antonio Trillanes from Rappler.com ).
This is the strong statement of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV onto Philippine Olympic Committee Chairman Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, as the brave senator observed the rapid drop of the performance of Filipino Athletes in the international sports competitions.
Trillanes addressed the worst finish of the country in the recent 2013 Myanmar Southeast Asian Games where the Philippines tallied only 29 gold medals, 34 silver, and 37 bronze to take the 7th spot of the overall rankings.
The last time the country topped the biennial competition was almost a decade ago (2005), that was the time that the country hosted the SEA Games. We had 113 gold medals, 84 silver, and 94 bronze.
After that successful tourney, the Philippines never reached the top three in the succeeding editions of the SEA Games. Philippines ended sixth in 2007 hosted by Thailand, fifth in 2009 at Laos, then dropped a single position in 2011 organized by Indonesia, and the last time at seventh, the lowest in the history of our participation, held in Myanmar.
Cojuangco took in charge of heading the POC in 2006. Aside from the SEA Games, the country still seeking of its first gold medal in the Olympics.
Meanwhile Senator Sonny Angara also blamed the POC for not including the World Champion Philippine Dragonboat Team in the last edition of the SEA Games, who are expected to give more recognition for the country.
“You do something about it? Yung Philippine Dragonboat team is a World Champion team, and won so many events, but was not able to join the SEA Games?” Angara questioned POC Executive Director Cynthia Carrion.
Philippine Dragonboat team was recognized after they brought home the six gold medals in the 2012 International Canoe Federation Dragon boat World Championships at the Idioscalo in Milan, Italy. Only a single gold slipped on their hands although they got silver on that event.
