While emotions across the nation were at an all-time high following Carlos Yulo's historic two gold medal-winning performances at the 2024 Paris Olympics, some oddly turned their attention to basketball.
Driven perhaps by the Olympic passion, some Pinoy fans made snap judgments regarding the best course of action for enhancing Philippine sports in general, including defunding basketball — an unimaginable course of action for a country that loves hoops more than its national treasures.
However, the country has admittedly not found a lot of international success in its dearest sport. Over the last three Olympic cycles, the Philippines' Olympic medal total has been bolstered by two golds and three silvers from weightlifting, two golds and three bronzes from gymnastics, and two silvers and three bronzes from boxing.
Regardless of the pride their accomplishments gave to the flag, the losses that piled up from the nation's basketball constitute a stark contrast, triggering great scrutiny.
Making sense of all things hoops
Many may not know that the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and other basketball programs are mostly funded by the private sector, which means the government provides them with very little, if any financial support.
On the other hand, many other National Sports Associations (NSAs) mostly depend on government support. Considering the discrepancy between the private sector and the NSAs, reallocating funds will never solve the problem.
In light of this, it is now up to each individual fan to offer support for the sport that they feel are lacking. Sponsors and, maybe, corporations are more likely to take an interest in these sports if many people participate in and support them. Just look at the prizes Yulo got after winning the back-to-back nights of triumph that brought frenzy to the motherland.
Online interaction could also boost visibility as it can help build a fanbase and draw media attention to the sport, connecting them to the people. Just look at running, and how it has turned into one of the most marketable sports in the country, gaining traction from the multitude of Filipinos who participate in it.
Focused on their ROI (return on investment), sponsors are attracted to higher viewership. Advertisers find these sports more appealing when featured on well-known networks, increasing sponsorship and streamlining money to the product.
It doesn’t even have to stem from success. Gilas fans have never tuned out when the team lost badly against the continent’s best squad. They were down through the thickest and the thinnest.
In other words, they were in it, no matter the result.
Never a zero-sum game
Arguments like "we won't win medals in basketball, so better to fund other sports" are made by those who think that the primary reason for watching sports is to see winners.
Sports fans don't just watch to cheer on their favorite player or team. They are there to support them no matter what.
In this field, interest, attention, and support are all paramount and intertwined, regardless of how we choose to interpret it. However, finding the motivation or the burning passion to support might be hard for an ordinary supporter, causing some other sports to flounder.
If the only basis for cutting funding for one sport in favor of another is the possibility of winning medals in a quadrennial competition involving heaps of athletes from other countries, this could lead to an extremely harmful cycle that further divides the already unequal sporting landscape in the Philippines by pitting the wealthy against the poor.
Sports, in general, is never a zero-sum game. The Olympics reinforces that, ensuring a medal is just as shiny or heavier as the others.
Time to ponder, Filipino sports fans
The argument about switching basketball financing to any other sport brings attention to a bigger problem: a lack of fan support for a broader range of sports programs.
Consistent fan involvement and support—not just when it's time to watch the Olympics every four years—are crucial to the growth of any sport.
Rather than questioning why these particular sportsmen receive large sums of money, we should focus our efforts on ensuring that everyone sits at a table where support is plentiful.
Setting up our athletes against one another in a situation where some of them are even facing their own athletic struggles is the last thing we want to do. As fans, we all hold the key.
Therefore, remember that support—whether it involves going to games or promoting youth participation—makes a big difference when considering the future of Filipino sports.
All of us want the best for our athletes. But never at the expense of others.
Here’s hoping for a richer sports industry for decades to come.
