Category: Tokyo Olympics

Empty, Resilient Japan

Photo: Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters

I have watched every single Olympic Opening Ceremony that’s available in YouTube and what I witnessed last Friday was the saddest.

The Opening Ceremony is the kickoff party. After seven years of preparations, the celebration commences and the proclamation says, “Let the games begin!”

The Olympic host nation brags about its history and nation. Movie stars and Hollywood singers emerge to captivate the billions of TV viewers. Remember Mr. Bean in London 2012? Or James Bond and the Queen landing via helicopter?

Not in Tokyo. Not after 194 million people worldwide have succumbed to Covid-19 and 4,159,546 people have died.

The Japanese are a rich people. They are rich in culture and history, in wealth and technology. Originally, I’m sure they wanted an outlandish Opening with robots flying 110 feet above the ground. The robots would be holding samurais and fencing in midair.

Not in 2021. 

Last Friday night, the mood was somber and dim. Aside from the showcase of the 1,800 drones and “Imagine,” and the human pictograms performance — I won’t divulge more so you can watch the show — the Opening was hushed and muted. The beginning (Opening Act) was so unremarkable that Ricky Ballesteros could have scripted just as good a show.

But we understand the situation. The 60,000 spectators inside the Tokyo Olympic Stadium were not allowed. They were reduced to a few thousand that included Emperor Naruhito, Jill Biden, the IOC officials and the media. 

Empty. The seats were empty. 

Covid-19 has made everyone suffer and grieve. And this sentiment was woven throughout the Opening. The music was often solemn and sorrowful. The presence of doctors and nurses throughout the show — an appropriate decision but one previously never seen before — showed the world audience that our greatest battle is still against the coronavirus.

The Tokyo Games organizers also had to contend with the public opposition to the Games. In a poll, as much as 59 percent wanted the Olympic Games postponed or canceled.

The 17-day-long Olympics of Japan has also been over budget. The original cost of US$7.3 billion has ballooned fourfold with a final estimate of $30 billion. By contrast, the 2016 Rio Games cost $14B and the London Olympics was $15B. Tokyo is exceed the combined costs of the last two Olympics.

Tokyo 2020 has become Japan’s unwanted Games. 

But, if there’s one trait that’s evident in the Japanese, it’s resilience. 

The Japanese have a proverb “nanakorobi yaoki.” It translates to “seven times down, eight times up.” They also have a term called “ganbaru” which means to “tough it out.”

After wiping away the tears in that cheerless and empty Opening Ceremony, Japan will emerge victorious.

Covid-19 will not win over the Olympics.

Tokyo 19

Only 19 days remain before our 19 Pinoy Olympians compete in Japan’s capital.

For the Philippines, this is the 22nd time that we’re joining the Summer Games. Our debut at the Olympics began in 1924 when David Nepomuceno competed in the 100m and 200m events in Paris. 

Four years later in Amsterdam, we sent four Olympians with swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso winning our first medal (bronze) in the 200m breakstroke.

Since 1924, we participated in every Olympics except thrice: in 1940 and 1944 when the Games were cancelled because of World War II and in the 1980 Moscow Olympics when we joined the US-led boycott.

In our 21 times of joining the Olympics, only nine Filipinos have ever won medals. The latest to triumph was Hidilyn Diaz in 2016 — joining Tokyo for her fourth consecutive Olympics — when the weightlifter won silver in Rio.

Prior to Hidilyn’s runner-up finish, our last medal was recorded in 1996 when arguably the most famous Pinoy Olympian, Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco, narrowly lost the light flyweight title in Atlanta. 

Worldwide, in the list of countries that have won Olympic medals, it’s no surprise that the U.S. ranks first with 2,523 medals (1,022 gold). Next is Russia (1,556 medals) and Germany (1,346).

Our nine total medals (3 silver and 7 bronze) after nearly a century of joining the Olympics ranks the Philippines among the worst-performing. (By comparison, Singapore and Vietnam own gold medals.) But let us not despair. In all, there are still 50 or so countries who have yet to win a single Olympic medal. And our blank gold medal tally makes us equal with Malaysia (who have won 7 silver and 4 bronze — but zero gold).

Here’s a fun fact: There is only one nation on this planet to have won a gold medal every time they join: Great Britain. 

Here’s another: If Michael Phelphs were a country, he’d be ranked 39th (out of 205) in the all-time count. His 28 medals (23 gold) outstrips countries like India, Mexico, Egypt and Argentina.

Speaking of gold, will Tokyo finally be the city when the Philippines wins the sporting world’s highest achievement?

We will have 19 Olympians joining — the highest number since we had 20 at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. 

Our officials, led by Chef de Mission (and football chief) Mariano Araneta, are slated to land at the Narita Airport on July 15. The athletes will follow soon after (all are billeted at the Conrad Hotel) and they’re expected to join the Opening Ceremony at the Olympic Stadium (8 P.M. on July 23).

Our 19 Olympians include Cebu’s star skateboarder Margie Didal; weightlifters Diaz and Elreen Ando (from the Univ. of Cebu); swimmers Luke Gebbie and Remedy Rule; shooter Jayson Valdez; boxers Nesthy Petecio, Eumir Marcial, Irish Magno and Carlo Paalam; sprinter Kristina Knott; golfers Yuka Saso (US Open champ), Bianca Pagdanganan and Juvic Pagunsan; pole vaulter EJ Obiena; gymnast Caloy Yulo; rower Cris Nievarez, taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa; and the Cebu-born judoka Kiyomi Watanabe, whose mom Irene is from Toledo City.