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| Julain Camacho. Photo courtesy of spin.ph |
In the 2013 Myanmar Games, we sent 219 athletes (less than half our Singapore delegation) and they came home with 29 gold medals, 34 silver medals and 38 bronze medals.
Understandably, some quarters are up at arms, claiming that our delegation's performance in Singapore was a failure. Some are even demanding that Philippine sports officials to take responsibility. And how does the Philippine chef de mission to the Signapore SEA Games react?
He blames the media.
I really, really wish I was joking. Or that he was joking
In a news report here, Camacho actually says the media is partly to blame for the perception that our SEA Games performance was poor because they asked the question "Ilan ba ang gold medal?" My question now is, what the hell were they supposed to ask?
Camacho makes the assertion that the gold tally should not be the only success metric for the SEA Games. I agree.
He says that the SEA Games is a training ground for our young athletes, a sort of developmental competition, where young athletes could gain experience that will help them prepare for the bigger Games. I also agree with him.
He says the increase in silver and bronze medals plus our climb from 7th place in Myanmar to 6th in Singapore indicate that we are improving. I don't agree as much as I do with the previous two points but I agree enough to let it go.
What I'm missing is where the media sabotaged our athletes' efforts. And how the media is to blame for the making it look like our SEA Games efforts was a failure. Because the last time I looked, the media didn't train any of the athletes. Or judged any of the competitions. Or aided any of our competitors.
The only thing the media did was report on what happened. Is it the media's fault that the Singapore delegation only won 29 gold medals, the same number as the Myanmar delegation, despite being twice as big ? Of course not.
Did they falsely raise our nation's hopes up by fabricating information with regards to our athletes' capabilities to win gold medals in the SEA Games? I certainly don't think so. In fact, the media doesn't even make predictions on how we'll fare.Their job is to ask those supposedly in the know, like Camacho, (although I now very seriously doubt he knows anything about his job) and report that. It certainly wasn't the media predicting we would win 55 gold medals and get fourth place in the standings. Nope, that was Camacho doing that, with the media JUST reporting it.
So let's get to the very bottom of it. Why is Camacho blaming the media? Because it's "cover your butt" time, and Camacho is desperately searching for some to blame.
Paging Camacho's boss, can you please fire this guy already?
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