Month: August 2024

Aug 26, 2024

Last Saturday, I was asked by CCSC Commissioner and UC athletic director Jessica Jawad Honoridez to give a talk during the opening of the 32nd Erne Jawad Memorial Table Tennis Cup at the Cebu Coliseum. Here’s my message:

Maayong buntag! Comm. Jessica Honoridez, congratulations for organizing the country’s longest-running table tennis event and one of the biggest, with over 1,000 participants. Jessica and I were together at the Paris Olympics.

At the Olympics, I had tickets to watch the semifinals of Table Tennis. But I had to give them up because it was at the same time as the competition of Elreen Ando. At the weightlifting competition, Jessica and I both watched Elreen Ando place sixth and get a Philippine record.

At the Paris Olympics, one of the most popular athletes among the 10,000 Olympians was Lebrun. Now, when I say “LeBron,” I know everyone will think of the NBA superstar. But to you, table tennis fans, you know that I’m not talking about LeBron James but about Felix Lebrun. He ended up winning two bronze medals for France, one in individual and one with his brother Alexis in the team event. Felix is only 17 years old — one of the youngest medalists in the Paris Olympics. Felix was a hero in France.

Here among you, I see many young athletes. Our hope is that, one day, some of you will represent the Philippines in the Olympics. We have the LA Olympics in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032. You can be the Felix Lebrun of the Philippines.

Here’s my message to everyone this morning: Sometimes you Win, Sometimes you Learn.

This is a fundamental truth in sports: there will be very few winners and many, many losers. It doesn’t matter what event. Jawad Cup. Palaro. Batang Pinoy. Olympics.

This is a fact of life and of sports: there will be more losers than winners. In the Jawad Cup, you have 13 categories. This means that there will only be 13 champions. There will be hundreds who will not win and climb the podium.

Of course we want to win: Wins are exciting. We are happy. We pump our fist. Our friends and family congratulate us. They validate our dedication and hard work. They give us a sense of accomplishment. But let’s also remember, it’s not just about winning.

Losses can be tough to accept. They can shake our confidence. After a loss, we question our abilities. But, it’s in these moments that we have the greatest opportunity to learn and grow. Losses can teach us valuable lessons about perseverance and resilience.

The athlete’s journey is not a straight line. It’s a winding path filled with ups and downs. What’s important is to embrace both the wins and the losses as stepping stones on our journey. Every challenge and setback is an opportunity to grow and to become a better table tennis player. Because it’s not just about winning; it’s about the continuous cycle of learning and improving.

To all the participants of the 32nd Jawad Cup, congratulations. And never forget: Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.

August 9, 2024

PARIS – The Eiffel Tower is the world’s most-visited paid monument. Here at the Olympics, it has transformed into a breathtaking backdrop for an unforgettable sight: Beach Volleyball. Seven million people visit the site each year, but last Monday, for 12,860 fans that included our JJJ family, it became the stage for an Olympic spectacle.

Nicknamed “La Dame de Fer” (French for “Iron Lady”), the Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 World’s Fair. Three hundred million people have trekked to the landmark since it opened 135 years ago. But last week, it played host to a different kind of celebration — the 2024 Olympics.

Imagine the sight: the Boracay-like white sand court, the world’s top athletes soaring and spiking, and towering above it all, the 330-meter-tall golden iron frame shimmering in the sunset. It’s a postcard-perfect image come to life here in France’s capital.

Jasmin, Jana and I watched two games last Monday. The first, at 9 p.m., was the women’s Round of 16 contest between Brazil’s top-ranked pair, Ana Patricia Ramos and Duda Lisboa, and Japan’s Hasegawa Akiko and Miki Ishii. The Brazilians, living up to their world No. 1 ranking and 2022 world champion titles, dominated and won,  21-15, 21-16.

The energy then shifted to the men, where Qatar’s Ahmed Tijan and Cherif Younousse (the Tokyo Olympics bronze medalists), battled Esteban and Marco Grimalt, cousins from Chile. The Qatari duo proved too strong, 21-14 and 21-13.

It was a beauty to see the women and men showcase distinct differences in beach volleyball. The much-taller men rely on raw power for serves, spikes, and “monster-blocks;” the women, revealing a different playing style, employ more finesse, shot placement, precision and the occasional “pancake.”

INCREDIBLE SIGHT. The sun sets here around 9:30 p.m. and, as it descended, it glistened even more gorgeously, casting a warm glow over the stadium (temporarily built for the Olympics). The atmosphere rocked with excitement as the DJ host prompted the crowd to turn on their phone flashlights.

Imagine the spectacle — 12,000 spectators creating a sea of glimmering lights as the pulsating rhythm of electronic dance music fills the air. Everyone’s dancing as the stadium transforms into the hottest club in Paris.

By 10 p.m., the Eiffel Tower’s lights themselves flickered to life for five full minutes. It added another layer of grandeur to the already awe-inspiring scene. Every dig, block and spike resonated with the majesty of France’s iconic landmark.

Beach Volleyball isn’t just about volleyball on the beach; here in the Olympics, it was about creating a lasting legacy. The Eiffel Tower Stadium will now serve as a blueprint for hosting future sporting events in unique locations, breathing life into iconic landmarks.

I’ve had the privilege of attending numerous sporting events. But the sight of the tower bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, the roar of the crowd, and the world’s best volleyball pairings diving on the white sand — none will compare with the memory of La Tour Eiffel.

August 6, 2024

The weather here has been nearly perfect: 18C at night and 28C at its hottest (surprisingly, at 6 p.m.). The sun rises at 6:30 a.m. and doesn’t set until 9:22 p.m. Yes, that’s 15 hours of daylight. The only “anomaly” this summer season happened during the rainy Opening Ceremony last July 26. Two days prior (and two days after), it has been mostly sunny.

2. We experienced an attempted pickpocket. It happened inside the Metro when two ladies surrounded Jana just as we entered. One lady’s hand was hidden behind a big empty bag as she pressed against our daughter. A tall man stood behind them. The other lady asked Jana in English (very unusual) what station this was headed to. We noticed something was wrong, stayed put and guarded our belongings. As we reached the next stop, the four of them (their “team” included another lady) jumped out of our carriage — and hopped on to the same train just a few meters right behind!

3. The bars and coffee shops here are filled. Many have large TV sets showing (exclusively) French athletes. The sport that we’ve noticed Parisians love watching the most: judo and fencing. And, of course, they love Leon Marchand. When he won gold in the 200m IM, we saw them running around hoisting the flag. Many painted their cheeks with their flag’s red-white-and-blue colors.

4. Best spot: just as it gets dark at 10 p.m., standing at the Arc de Triomphe and watching the Eiffel Tower and the Olympic cauldron balloon.

5. Kindness: this is not our first trip here and we’ve all known about their occasional rudeness. But, so far, everyone has been courteous. In Metro stations, volunteers guide you. At the playing venues, they help you; in the souvenir stores, restaurants, Carrefour shops, they smile. The Olympics has brought out the best in the French. Merci!

6. Food: after a week of eating baguette, frites (obviously, it’s not called “French fries” here), croissants and (French) onion soup, we finally succumbed to my sister-in-law Mitzi’s tactic: eat Chinese food with plenty of rice.

7. Police and military officers are visible. The policemen are usually three officers in one group. The French military wear light-brown fatigues and carry high-powered firearms. They are 6 or 7 in a formation. They parade the streets as sirens are overheard. In major streets, it’s not surprising to see 10 police cars lined up.

8. Walk, walk, walk. We average 10K per day.

9. Water is potable. And they’ve installed drinking fountains in many public areas. The public “toilettes” (“sanisettes”) are innumerable and are scattered in the major thoroughfares — all for free.

10. The Paris Metro system is one of the world’s best. We even got to meet an Olympian from Mexico who, just hours earlier, competed in the 20km Race Walk. Exclusive during the Games, Paris has the Navigo pass for tourists: 10 Euro for unlimited rides all-day inside Zones 1 to 5, which includes the airport and Versailles.

11. Music is played everywhere, particularly inside the Olympic venues where a DJ invites the crowd to sing and dance along. Our favorite: serenaded by the Olympic volunteers on Paris’ beloved street, the song, “Les Champs-Elysees.”