Filipino Athletes' Triumphs: From Velasco to Yulo, Inspiring a Nation Amid Adversities

Filipino Athletes' Triumphs: From Velasco to Yulo, Inspiring a Nation Amid Adversities | Daily Tribune

Philippine sports is overflowing with banner years that lifted Filipino spirits amid various challenges and adversities.

Remember 1996 when a diminutive boxer from a poor Negros town by the name of Mansueto Velasco broke through and secured the country’s first ever medal in the Summer Olympics in Atlanta?

The triumph came at a perfect moment as it made Filipinos somehow forget the problems that had gripped the country like the disaster brought by typhoon “Gloria” in Luzon and Mindoro and the massive fire that razed Ozone Disco to the ground killing 162 individuals.

Nearly two decades later, Filipinos were again over the moon as their men’s national basketball team made its first appearance in the FIBA World Cup after a 38-year absence. While ordinary Filipinos were worrying about getting from Point A to Point B as the MRT was conking out every 20 minutes and EDSA remained clogged, the Palacio Municipal de Deportes San Pablo in the Spanish city of Seville roared loud and proud as Gilas Pilipinas bravely stood tall against the best teams in the world.

Of course, who could forget 2021? While the country was being battered by the coronavirus pandemic, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz lifted the hopes of her countrymen as she claimed the country’s first gold medal in the Olympics.

The euphoria brought by her triumph was greatly felt. While Diaz was shedding tears of victory following her history-clinching lift on a fateful Monday night, Filipinos from all over the world were all celebrating despite losing their jobs, their loved ones, and all hope in their hearts to the deadly respiratory disease.

This year is no different.

Gymnast Carlos Yulo marched to Paris with nothing but a small promise that he would do his best not just to land on the medal podium but to prove that Filipinos have what it takes to shine against the best in the world.

Sure, he came in with two gold medals from the World Championships, 10 from the Asian Championships, and nine from the Southeast Asian Games, but expectations were really low as he had a chaotic buildup that led to the resignation of his Japanese coach, Munehiro Kugimiya, months before the Summer Games.

Without his foreign coach — and with his tumultuous relationship with his family — Yulo quietly landed in the French capital way ahead of the other Filipino athletes. He trained with his Filipino coach, Aldrin Castañeda, for a few weeks using the same game plan and techniques taught him by his Japanese mentor.

But the boy who was often overlooked for his shy and quiet demeanor delivered. He pulled off a miracle when he clinched the gold medal in his pet event — the floor exercise — before ruling the vault apparatus, making him the first Filipino to emerge with a pair of Olympic gold medals.

Like Diaz before him, the Filipinos elevated Yulo to rock star status. For them, he was not just an athlete but an icon who comes only once in a lifetime.

Tributes and prizes poured like manna from heaven to the point that even small-time companies like hole-in-the-wall restaurants, neighborhood computer shops, and even motels generously gave him gifts and discounts in celebration of his golden conquest.

In one fleeting moment, the Filipinos were united. Yulo’s triumph made them forget the rising cost of basic commodities, the transport strikes due to the impending jeepney modernization, and the quest for dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo.

Yulo had nothing but appreciation for the love and support showered on him. Despite drawing flak for his tarnished relationship with his family, Filipinos still loved him, treating him like a war hero who left with nothing but came home on a white horse with a shiny crown on his head.