Memories came flashing the moment Joey Romasanta saw Team Philippines sailing through the majestic Seine River to signify its formal entry in the Paris Olympics on Saturday.

Romasanta waxed nostalgic.

Now turning 80, Romasanta used to be one of the most powerful men in Philippine sports. Under the administration of late President Corazon Aquino, he ran the Project: Gintong Alay program as its executive director until it became the Philippine Sports Commission in 1990.

When Aquino’s brother — Jose “Peping” Cojuangco — became the president of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) in 2004, Romasanta resurfaced and served as his spokesperson, sparking a beautiful relationship with sportswriters that he still maintains up to this day.

Eventually, Romasanta took active roles in the local Olympic movement, serving as president of the karate and volleyball federations until being elected as POC first vice president in 2012.

But along with the role came a much bigger responsibility: Leading the country to an Olympic medal as chef de mission of the Rio de Janeiro Summer Games in 2016.

Romasanta still remembers it like yesterday, saying that the 13-man delegation was not in great shape the moment it landed from a backbreaking flight that brought them to the bustling South American metropolis.

“When we arrived in Rio, most of the athletes still had jet lag. I told them to roam around the city to set the mood,” said Romasanta, who is still being sought by sportswriters for his wisdom, honesty and candid demeanor despite being away from the limelight in the past couple of years.

“I told them: ‘Look, you’re already winners after qualifying for the Olympics. You all earned the right to be here. If there’s anyone who wants to win, it’s you guys.’”

“Just like in golf, you have to loosen up or else you won’t hit the ball. Let your training do the talking for you.”

Romasanta said he had a unique leadership style.

Instead of barking orders like a seasoned drillmaster, he would reach out to the athletes by bonding with them at the Athletes Village. They would often hangout in the cafeteria and stare at the world’s brightest sports stars walking down before their very eyes.

“I rarely go to hotels. I would rather stay at the Athletes Village. Being there with the athletes themselves is special,” Romasanta said.

“In the cafeteria, we would have breakfast and see the world’s best athletes. Seeing guys like Pau Gasol and Tony Parker walking by was just a normal occurrence for us.”

Romasanta’s unique approach paid a handsome reward.

A then unknown weightlifter from Zamboanga in Hidilyn Diaz delivered as she posted a 200-kilogram lift to secure the silver medal in the women’s 53-kg event.

Prior to Diaz’s feat, the Filipinos were suffering a 20-year Olympic medal dryspell with their last podium finish — a silver — coming in 1996 in Atlanta courtesy of boxer Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco.

“After she won that medal, we were talking until 2 a.m. in the balcony of the Athletes Village. I told her that she’s going to be a superstar and people might take advantage of her so she has to surround herself with people whom she trusts,” said Romasanta, whose fatherly care and advice somehow contributed to the success of Diaz and other Filipino athletes.

“When I saw her after that, she was wearing makeup. I told her: ‘A lot has changed.’ She answered: ‘Sir, it’s great to fall in love.’”

“I had a good laugh out of that conversation because she was already being courted back then. That’s how close I was to the athletes.”

True enough, Diaz blossomed into a superstar as she eventually became the first Filipino to win an Olympic gold medal five years later.

She even married her coach, Julius Naranjo, in a dreamy wedding that seems unthinkable when she was still confiding with Romasanta in a late-night discussion in a balcony of the Athletes Village in Rio.

Romasanta said being the chef de mission is more than a job. It’s a responsibility.

“Being a chef de mission is a tough job. You are responsible for the athletes,” said Romasanta, who acquired his media savvy during his time at Hacienda Luisita.

“You also have to talk to the media and you have to make sure that you know all the details.”

“Planning is the key in terms of documentation and to get a better view of where you are. If something good happens, what can we do to improve from it? You have to be academic about the whole thing.”

Romasanta said the Olympics is a one of a kind experience for athletes, coaches, and even sports officials.

His advice: Savor every single minute of it. It’s a golden experience they can narrate to their children and grandchildren over and over again.