Believe it or not. This is why our lifter Hidilyn Diaz won the first Olympic gold medal for this country in the Tokyo Olympics.
Unsung hero too behind the scene was PSC psychologist Karen Trinidad, who travelled with us for years before the historic lift took place.
More than half of my life has been focused on the development of RP sports, including more than six years as PSC commissioner and three years in my first term in congress as Chairman for Youth and Sports Development.
Oh yes, I know how blessed I am which includes the conceptualization and founding of Batang Pinoy, the genuine grassroots program for the country for more than twenty years now.
And since then, one of the main lessons I have learned through these years is the essential necessity of having psychologists for our identified super athletes, especially potential Olympians.
Unfortunately, this week I saw the surprising baptismal lesson that our upcoming tennis superstar Alex Eala received from the higher ranked Kostyu of Ukraine.
Yes, we’re not surprised she lost her debut in the Italian Open, in preparation for the Grand Slam French Roland Garros. But not that bad. All of us can’t understand how badly she played.
I didn’t even finish the match knowing fully well she was off, quite off. You see, lawn tennis is not all grit and brawn. It’s heads up and experience, which every aspirant has to go through. To have a super Spanish coach from the Rafa Nadal Academy is not enough or a doting father that takes care of her needs and travel at all times.
These iconic champions Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic all have psychologists too. I guess a 19 year old upcoming World class champion needs it more, which can also be shouldered by her private sponsors BPI and Globe or even PSC for that matter since she’s now a great inspiration to millions of growing up youngsters.
This is where our taxes should go. I’m sure her parents who also grew up in Victorias, Negros, where she picked up her first racket, has spent quite a fortune to where she is now.
And father knows best. But i realized her need for a psychologist, when she was beaten black and blue by another beautiful and young upcoming who’s also in search for more glory and improve her own ranking.
For me, she’s already been affected by all these sudden accolades and hallelujahs from everywhere in the world, not only here, but even the best tennis stars of today, from Nadal, and even the champions she beat in Miami, which is her favorite, the hard court.
But these is the season for clay and Wimbledon grass coming up soon in July, which she must adjust to, since she’s now in the top seventies in the world. She has to or she’ll be clobbered again by the more hungry ones.
You can’t always have your own cake. Annually, two grand slams are hard courts, while French Open is clay and Wimbledon is grass. She must learn to roll with every surface or she’ll stay in the fifties. Matter of time.
Forget the adulation with feet always on the ground.
Or it can destroy an upcoming bright young star.
