Prehistoric Olympics

The prehistoric Olympics, which dated long before Christ, then had its inspiring, laborious, barbaric incipiency. Although the account was not clearly passed from one tongue to another and the account became a mist. Still, kudos to handful of Olympic chroniclers—like      — who proactively researched the past and unearthing the important traces of prehistoric Olympics starting with one event and followed by multiple games participated by multitudes of nationalities.

Even in the time of Nero, a Roman (Julian) Emperor who was very notorious during his stint and invaded Greece after the latter's downfall, the history of the Olympics was marred with prejudice and lopsided officiation. This was so evident  when Nero, himself, surrounded by 5,000 militia, participated in one of the events in Greece. There was a moment when Nero wobbled down and was thrown out from his chariot. Nobody had dared to overtake nor challenge the anarchic Nero. In the end, he was declared cheater—nay, winner of the said event.

Games then was so gruesome and blood-bathed. Some victims were became rituals and  offered in altars. After, their bodies were immolated. Such hideous practices were tolerated then as if it was a form of culture and entertainment. Ofcourse, there's prehistoric boxing in the form of event called "pancration." Pancration was a game played  by two contenders who tussle to death in no holds barred competition. There's no implementing rules and fouls applied until one signals his defeat by raising his hand.

The time of Hitler in 1936 was not spared from Olympic controversy. According to a chronicler, Hitler made the 1936 Berlin Olympics as a venue for breeding future Aryan race Olympiads on which German girls were exploited and allowed to shag with Olympic badge-wearing Aryan race athletes, so that these girls would yield and give birth to world-class  and competitive Aryan athletes of the said country. The absurdity was somehow criticized by some societies owing to morality issue. Later, the racism ideology of Hitler led to his downfall in World War II.

My Experience As A Coliseum Announcer

Watching sports program—most especially basketball—is considered as one of the pasttimes of everybody here in the Philippines. Being a basketball aficionado, you are penchant to each team's standing, statistics, drafts, new roster of players, etc.Even kids under 9 years can enumerate players within their bet teams including coach, assistant coaches.

Olympiads

Prometheus: Theft Of Fire

The Olympic flame is one of the major symbols of Olympic Games. This symbolism also commemorates the “theft of fire,” which became universal in other world mythologies, by Prometheus from Zeus. Through this act and challenge of Prometheus against the Gods, progress and civilization were made possible and started. As a result of this defiance, Prometheus became famous and champion of mankind. Consequently, the torch—the light to humanity—have become one of the symbols in Olympics. 

In ancient Olympics, the fire was maintained lighted round the clock throughout the celebration. So, in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, the flame torch was instituted as part of the modern Olympic celebration. 

Teofilo Yldefonso: Piddig, Ilocos Norte

Coincidentally, in 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, our very own Teofilo Yldefonso aka “Ilocano Shark” got the first (bronze) medal for the Philippines in 200 meter breaststroke category and thereafter grabbed the same achievement in the same category in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Now, he is considered as the first Filipino to win multiple medals in the Olympiad. 

The modern torch relay from one country to another in the modern Olympics was only introduced by Carl Diem in the 1936 Berlin Olympics and has no historical relation with the ancient Olympic custom. 

Moreover, the motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius,  (faster, higher, stronger) was suggested by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who was the co-founder of the modern Olympic games, upon the creation of the Olympic Committee in 1894. The motto, however, was just introduced in 1924 Paris Olympic Games or four years before the introduction of Olympic flame in the modern day Olympiad.  In the same way, Coubertin also introduced a more casual version of the motto of the Olympiad, ”The most  important thing is not to win but to take part,” which he derived from a Pennsylvania Bishop’s homily in the event of 1908 London Olympic Games.

In addition, the five connecting circles in the Olympic logo, colored blue, yellow, black, green and red which is embedded in white background, symbolizes the major continent in the world: Asia, Africa, Europe, (North and South) America, Australia.

In 1948, the resumption of the quadrennial event after World Ward II happened in London Olympic Games. In this year, the first televised Olympic event show started.

After 64 years, the 30^th Summer Olympics was hosted by London in 2012 and was joined by 205 competing countries around the globe.

Since the games  inception in 1896, the modern Olympics, which happens every four years,  has already conducted 30 Summer Olympic Games in 22 key different cities worldwide and 21 Winter Olympic Games in 18 key different cities in Arctic region as of press time.

The 31^st and 32^nd Summer Olympic Games will be hosted by Brazil in 2016 and by Japan in 2020 in accordance with the International Olympic Committee. 

2016 Brazil Olympics

See Blogger's Related Stories: Japan To Host Olympic Games In 2020
Sources From The Web:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_symbols
                                             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Te%C3%B3filo_Yldefonso
                                             Sports Illustrated: The Olympics: A History Of The Games 

Recapturing The FIBA World Cup Championship

From the time we joined the event in 1936 and four years after establishment of FIBA Men's Basketball World Championship in 1950, Philippines has become renowned internationally and has taken center stage as being one of the competitive teams in this sports event. 

In 1954, the Philippines, along with the United States of America and Brazil, qualified and and advanced to the finals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil FIBA World Cup.  After the event, the Philippines ended with bronze medal on hand. This is our first and last medal ever in the FIBA World Cup.

Also, the Philippines was stripped of hosting the 4th FIBA in 1963 due to allege failure of issuance of players and officials in the socialist countries that provided visa. By this consequences, Brazil took over the event venue for the third time since the inception and incorporation of FIBA Men's Basketball World Championship in 1950.

In addition, the first country to ever receive the first James Naismith Trophy was the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) in 1967 Montevideo, Uruguary FIBA World Cup. It was also their first gold ever received in this quadrennial event.

Traditionally, in order for a country to host the Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur event, a country must qualify first at least to the world championship but not until the hosting of Colombia in 1982 that paved the way to the non-qualifying country to host the said world cup. So, Colombia is the first country to host a FIBA World Cup which has not been qualified in the FIBA Championship to date.

Although the the country holds the title for having the first professional basketball in Asia, the Philippines, as the first Asian to be in the FIBA World Cup Championship, still continue to struggle with other neigboring countries to regain our berth in the world championship.

Since 1986 that followed by particular losses in 1996 and 2002, Korea has become the albatross around the nation's neck with regard to capping the FIBA Championship Game.They were the hurdles the impeded us to get into a championship for the past decades.

In 28 years, the Philippines has become dormant in dominating a clear stand in the Federation Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) World Cup Championship. Thus, Patriotic players donning our national flag had evidently prepared for a tough readiness and agility for the comeback at least in FIBA-Asia Championship. As anticipated, Gilas Pilipinas sealed a clear victory over Sokor 86-79 on August 10, 2013, at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur name existed until 1989 but its acronym has remained inspite of denoting the word amateur therein. The headquarters was moved to Munich, Germany in 1956 but in 2002, the federation returned its headquarters to Geneva, Switzerland again.

With roaring cheers inside and outside the jampacked arena and support from the fans all over the archipelago and the world, Gilas Pilipinas ignited their undoubted skills, agility, flexibility, and outside shooting streak that night to secure their stance in the limelight of being a champion again in the 27th FIBA-Asia Men's Basketball Championship this year.

According to other commentaries, the curse was already lifted from the Philippines and the heartbreak was now felt by our neighbor South Korean. Others said that not only Jinri Park and Grace Lee were snatched by the Philippines from South Korea but also a berth in the Championship game in Spain in 2014.

At the end of the 27th FIBA-ASIA Championship in Manila, Gilas Pilipinas was upset by the well-experienced Iran, 87-71, on August 11, 2013. By this achievement, Iran has secured their historic 3rd consecutive championship in FIBA-Asia—the first in the history—while the Philippines settled for the silver medal. On this season, Hamed Haddadi was proclaimed the Most Valuable Player.

Now as both advance to the world championship, the Philippines and Iran including Korea can still settle to another yet gruelling competition to grab a Naismith Trophy in the much-awaited 2014 FIBA World Cup Championship next year.

Good Luck Pilipinas!

updated: 20 August 2013