WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
After an unprecedented one-year delay, the Tokyo Olympics rolls off from July 23 to August 8, amid ongoing local surges of the dreadful COVID-19 pandemic.
It has been a long, arduous setback with ongoing uncertainties for this year’s 19 Filipino Olympians, but in the grand scheme of things, a more painful wait has been going on for far, far longer: a 97-year journey to capture the country’s first Olympic gold medal.
Despite having a history filled with heartbreaks and near-misses with destiny, there is always a first time for Filipinos. In fact, this year, 18 of the 19 delegates are rookie Olympians wading through unfamiliar sporting territories with no fans to cheer them on.
Also for the first time in the country’s Olympic history, Pinay power will be on full display as Filipina delegates outnumber their male counterparts.
Leading this group of beaming hopefuls is veteran weightlifting icon Hidilyn Diaz, one of only three Filipinos in history to nab an Olympic silver, which she achieved in 2016.
For the Philippines, there is no better time to make more Olympic history than right now, as the world’s best athletes exhibit teamwork on a grand scale unlike any other to keep unseen foes away from tainting the spirit of the Games.
Will old adages like “silver shining like gold” finally come to a well-deserved rest for the country’s Olympic charge?
