A sixth place isn’t ‘very successful’

By Alex P. Vidal

“Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. One fails forward toward success.”

—C. S. Lewis

WE reiterate that a sixth-place finish in a field of 10 countries is a dismal failure, not an accomplishment.

We beg to disagree with our sports officials, especially Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino who described as “very successful” the sixth place garnered by Team Philippines in the most recent 33^rd Southeast Asian Games or 2025 SEAG in Thailand December 9-20, 2025.

Tolentino should be reminded that we just competed in the SEAG not the Asian Games, not in the World Olympic Games.

In the Asian Games where competition is in a very high level, 45 member nations of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) participate, representing all National Olympic Committees in Asia, with all 45 sending delegations to recent events like Hangzhou 2022 (held in 2023).

These nations cover the vast continent, with some, like Macau and Chinese Taipei, participating under specific rules, while some Asian-located nations, like Turkey and Israel, compete in European events.

In the recent SEAG, there were only 10 competing nations, and we wound up sixth tralala.

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We can’t blame Tolentino, et al when they called the Philippines’ 2025 SEA Games campaign a “very successful” outing despite finishing 6th with 50 golds, 73 silvers, and 154 bronzes for a total of 277 medals, which was below target.

To admit failure is to risk earning the wrath of the Filipino sports fans back in the Philippines.

Tolentino and his fellow eager beaver sports officials highlighted the Filipino athletes’ historic wins like the women’s football championship, dominance in basketball (Gilas men/women), beach volleyball, and strong showings in athletics (EJ Obiena) and swimming (Kayla Sanchez), viewing these breakthroughs as significant progress despite the overall medal count drop from 2023 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where the Philippines finished fifth garnering 58 golds, 86 silvers, and 117 bronzes.

We insist that the Filipino athletes, who were among the total of 13,657 athletes that competed across 50 medal sports, ranging from Olympic disciplines to traditional local sports in Thailand, could have done better, or at least land in the third spot if our sports programs weren’t decrepit and they were well-trained abroad.

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The 10 participating nations were hosts Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Vietnam, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Brunei Darussalam, and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. Cambodia withdrew their delegation from the 2025 SEA Games due to “safety concerns” on 10 December.

Finishing sixth means we are at the bottom of the ladder.

Holding the lowest rank, position, or level in a system, organization, or social hierarchy, often used to describe starting a new job with entry-level duties, implying there’s nowhere to go but up.

According to HubSpot, Dictionary.com, and Cambridge Dictionary, it signifies a junior status, less power, lower pay, and less desirable tasks, but also represents a starting point for career progression and gaining experience.

Whether Tolentino, et al will admit it or not, Philippine sports has been struggling due to systemic issues like underfunding, poor governance (politics/corruption), lack of modern facilities/training, and a weak grassroots system, forcing athletes to compete with raw talent against well-supported international peers, often leading to untapped potential and underperformance despite passion.

Pinoy athletes reportedly face challenges from insufficient financial support and delayed reimbursements to bureaucratic infighting and a lack of long-term vision from sports bodies, hindering true development.

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STRENGTH IN A BOTTLE. A stomach enzyme could make as stronger. Protease, a digestive enzyme that helps our body break down proteins, appears to lessen muscle inflammation that occurs after resistance training, says Baylor University researchers.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA. A man shot his ex-wife to death while the victim was on her way walking to the graveyard of their 15-year-old daughter who had committed suicide. The man blamed the ex-wife for the daughter’s death. The daughter had left a suicide note that she was pregnant, and her mother would never forgive her for what she did.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)