Unlike before when we needed to be there in the venue to let our athletes know of our support, now we can already do it through social media.
In the advent of internet, we can already convey our messages to our athletes wherever we are. Considering that our athletes in the 30th South East Asian (SEA) Games are millennials, we are pretty sure that they can take a look at our posts.
Our positive and encouraging messages can help a lot to boost the morale of our athletes. In fact, no less than our very own marathon queen, Mary Joy Tabal, asked the netizens to also post positive comments also after the negative comments dominated in the social networking sites prior to the formal opening of the SEA Games.
Of course, we cannot blame those who posted negative comments prior to the formal opening of the SEA Games because of the minor glitches. There were problems reported on the athlete food, transportation and accommodation.
We respect their opinions and their questions on the expenses of the SEA Games, especially the P50 million worth of cauldron. They also want to know how the budget was being used.
However, when the opening ceremony was done last Saturday, we observed the world class presentation. From start to finish — the singing of the national anthem to the dances, presentation of the different countries’ athletes, to the speeches, torching of the cauldron and the fireworks display — everything was snappily executed.
Positive comments flooded the social media. Filipinos expressed their being so proud as Filipinos. The negative comments because of the minor glitches were already overtaken by the positive comments because of the excellent performance displayed on that very day.
That opening salvo was also a lucky charm for our athletes; their fighting spirit soared to the highest level.
True enough, on the first day of the game, they already garnered 24 gold medals. To date, they have gotten 142 medals and 63 of which are gold and still counting.
The minor glitches were already corrected. We heard affirmative comments already from our visitors about their transportation, accommodation and food. Some foreign athletes are even saying that they face “good problems” because of the delicious foods served in the athlete city 24 hours every day. The foods are too good to resist and that they are bothered that their athlete weights are already affected.
With these, the organizers are worthy of positive comments also. Of course, we deserve an accounting of the expenses after the SEA Games. Anyway, House Speaker and Philippine Sea Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) Chairman, Alan Peter Cayetano already expressed his readiness to explain everything after the SEA games.
In the meantime, for the sake of our athletes while the SEA Games are still going on, let us set aside politics first. Let us unite and support our athletes. After all, we cannot help them a lot except to cheer them, even on social media only.