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Wushu, or martial arts, was not officially included in the Olympics but it was included as a special event. Southeast Asian countries received 14 medals for Wushu including a gold medal for the Philippines.
After 12 years Malaysia won an Olympic medal. Malaysian badminton player Lee Chong Wei is now a national hero after winning a silver medal in Beijing. He even outshined opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who recently scored a landslide victory in the elections.
Another important victory was the silver medal of Singapore in table tennis. This was Singapore’s first Olympic medal in 48 years. However, some Singaporeans are not celebrating since the victorious players are originally from China. But others think this is a non-issue. They insist that the Olympic medalists are genuine Singaporeans and their victory should be a cause for celebration. Besides, many table tennis players from other countries like France, Italy, Canada and Poland have Chinese roots as well.
Singapore swimmer Tao Li finished fifth in the swimming finals. She was the first Singaporean to reach the Olympic swimming finals. Everybody is expecting her to perform better in 2012.
The most memorable victory was delivered by 33-year-old Thai boxer Somjit Jongjohor. The former world boxing champion almost retired from competitive sports after losing in the 2004 Athens Olympics. He knew this year would be his last chance to bring home a gold medal for Thailand. He trained well, he fought hard, and the veteran boxer succeeded in the end.
He should be cheered as the region’s Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps for embodying the Olympic spirit. However, his victory was spoiled by a rumor that some Thai officials tried to influence the game results. The officials were accused of treason since they allegedly lobbied for the defeat of Thai athletes.
The low Olympic medal output of Southeast Asian countries is not disappointing. Many athletes performed well, especially if we consider the lack of proper sports facilities in the region. For example, Lao swimmers had to contend with limited local resources such as a pool facility half the size of a standard Olympic-size swimming pool.
A news report revealed that Cambodian athletes are receiving only US$30 per month from the government. How can this meager allowance inspire athletes to perform well in the Games? Financial incentives are important too in the training of athletes. For instance, Singapore had promised to give US$800,000 to athletes who brought home a gold medal, and Thailand’s gold winners will receive $550,000.
The saddest news in the Olympics was the exclusion of Brunei. As reported earlier, Brunei officials failed to register their two participating athletes on time. Officials of different government agencies have since then blamed each other for this international embarrassment. Maybe the Brunei government should prepare early for the 2012 London Olympics.
The Philippines should also review its training program. Preparation for the Olympics should not be done a few months before the start of the Games. The opposition is asking sports officials about the seemingly insufficient training received by Olympic athletes despite the financial pledges of various business organizations.
Writer C.V. Tyler has an interesting proposal: A unified Southeast Asian Olympic Team. He explains that fielding a single Southeast Asian team in the 2012 Olympics would promote regional affinity. Another advantage would be the opportunity for top and promising Southeast Asian athletes to train in the most advanced sports facilities in the region.
This proposal should be seriously considered. In the past, the two Koreas joined the Olympics as a single team. Former Soviet states also competed as a single group in the 1990s. There is also a proposal for the European Union to field a unified Olympic team.
Meanwhile, Southeast Asian governments should view the Olympic results as a reflection of the inefficient sports programs in their countries. It is not enough to scout for strong and fast athletes. World champions are not born, they are trained. Governments should allot more funding for sports development.
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(Mong Palatino is the regional editor for Southeast Asia of Global Voices Online. He can be reached at mongpalatino@gmail.com and his Web site is www.mongpalatino.motime.com.
©Copyright Mong Palatino.)
