“Who would have known that this seed of
innovation would grow, and carry to so many millions of kids who have
participated since its creation? Little League, a simple idea has grown,
multiplied and become an international institution.” Dave Winfield
By Alex P. Vidal
It’s been three weeks since our softball players
from Zarraga, Iloilo came home from the 2014 Little League Softball (baseball)
World Series in the United States, but the Iloilo provincial board, or any
government agency for that matter, has not yet recognized their efforts and
those of their coaches and mentors.
Although they failed to win the championships
in Portland, Oregon last August 7-13 and in Kirkland, Washington last
August 10-16, the girls, mostly below 18, ably represented the Asia Pacific
Region despite coming for the twin tournaments late.
Because they forfeited their first matches, the
softbelles finished by the wayside (not 10th or last as we
wrote earlier).
Delegation chief, Dr. Myrna Castillo,
DepEd-Iloilo division superintendent, blamed the delay of their arrival in the
United States to the late release of their visas.
Battling a jetlag, the girls immediately buckled
down to work as soon as they arrived and wrapped up their remaining matches, it
was learned.
Lady luck wasn’t on their side as they lost one
game after another en route to a dismal campaign.
FAIL
Even if they failed to bring home any trophy or
medal, the Ilonggo girls made us all proud as representatives of not only the
Philippines but the entire Asia Pacific in the Little League World Series,
which incidentally is on its 75th year.
If they were Cubans, Chinese or Guamanians, the
girls would have been given the red carpet welcome despite their dismal
performances.
Even socialist and communist regimes like Fidel
Castro’s Cuba celebrate the defeats of their athletes.
No blaming game. No
finger-pointing.
In the World Series, what counts most is the
teams’ presence in the prestigious gathering of softball players—seniors and
juniors—from Asia-Pacific, Australia, Canada, Caribbean, Europe-Africa, Japan,
Latin America, and Mexico.
The teams’ participation is more of a commitment
to promote and establish international goodwill, peace and camaraderie rather
than counting of trophies and medals.
The Zarraga girls and their coaches left and
arrived in the Philippines in cognito.
No frills and fusillades of
publicity.
But instead of being cited for their gallantry,
they or their coaches and other delegation members will be summoned for
investigation in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial board) committee on
youth and sports development.
FIASCO
Their trip, results of their matches and the
composition of the official delegation are being tagged as a “sports fiasco.”
Board Member Carmen Rita Monfort-Bautista, the
committee chair, has requested the committee on education to join the
investigation.
We don’t know what is there to be investigated
for, in the first place, since there was no taxpayers money involved in the
girls’ trip, according to Dr. Castillo, who spearheaded the last-ditch efforts
to solicit from private sources to raise funds.
DepEd officials and other non-playing team
members spent their own money, added Dr. Castillo, saying they could not afford
to skip the tournament or face suspension from the organizers next year.
Instead of passing a resolution to congratulate
the girls and their coaches in order to lift their spirits, this is what
Monfort-Bautista and her peers will give to our tired and weary World Series
heroes.
Adding insult to the girls’ and the coaching
staff’s injury.
PUSH
If the committee investigation will push
through, it will send a wrong signal to our young baseball girls and other
athletes.
They will think that their local officials have
no love lost for them; they will feel abandoned and betrayed.
“Is this the price that we have to pay only
because we failed to win the championship?” they might ask themselves.
Still basking in the glory and prestige of
having played in a major international sports arena, the girls will end up
demoralized if not emotionally and mentally terrorized.
Is this how we reward our returning athletes?
Only in Iloilo. Only in the Philippines.
