Wesley So and PH’s myopic vision for talents

In an impressive performance against Norway’s Magnus Carlsen during the recently concluded World Fischer Random Chess Championship, grandmaster Wesley So reminded us again what we’re missing — a humble, elite-level talent who should have been representing us on the international stage in chess, but is not, because of filthy corruption in our midst.

Currently ranked 12th in the world by the International Chess Federation, Wesley is one of the most salient proofs of our inability to accept our limitations and gifts. That if only the chess officials of our country took him seriously years ago while he was still playing for us, “Lupang Hinirang” would have ended up being played in the closing ceremony of the contest and not “The Star-Spangled Banner” of the United States.

Perhaps, Richard Gomez is right all along that we shouldn’t intoxicate ourselves with too much basketball romanticisms and instead focus our limited resources and vision on “sports where we can become Olympic champions,” like boxing and weightlifting. In the case of chess, for its olympiad. But, of course, we also have to consider a strong leadership with integrity.

Let’s face the fact that while we have the heart to play basketball, we don’t have the physical gifts to compete at the highest level in this sport. Our imports are former NBA players, and while we celebrate them as they play for us with their flashy drives and powerful dunks, they’re not true-blooded Filipinos. Unlike in basketball, however, height is not an advantage in chess.

Wesley So will continue to represent the United States internationally. If we want to earn his respect and convince him to play for the Philippines again, we have to fix ourselves first. He’s a once-in-a-generation savant, and we should feel deep regret that he has to play for another country for him to maximize his potential.

How many more silent, untapped Wesley Sos do we have that are just waiting to spread their wings? The challenge now for our sports officials is not to let another talent be unappreciated and undermined. Because we need more of them, not less.

Sports is about the athletes, not the officials. Remember that.

BENRE J. ZENAROSA
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