By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
If anyone will ask how 2020 went in the world of sports, I think the answer is pretty obvious.
With the absence of contact-sports and the overhauled format of some just to be in line with the COVID-19 protocols, 2020 has been an unprecedented year for athletes and fans alike.
Entering 2020, the world of sports had high hopes, big plans, a bright future, and was a year of redemption for some resurging athletes.
This year was also devastating, following the losses of some sports icons including NBA legend Kobe Bryant and football legend Diego Maradona.
The first quarter of 2020 was especially tough.
It was heartbreaking. It was painful to think that one of your childhood idols passed away in the worst way you could ever imagined.
I was only starting to get over Kobe Bryant’s death when COVID-19 came around and caused global hysteria.
Everyone was in panic mode, the country was still trying to figure out how to contain the virus.
Then the lockdowns came. The Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) was one of the scariest months for me.
It also spelled doom for sports.
Everyone was disappointed and was getting impatient as to when sports will return. To some, it was worse as it affected their mental health.
Some people rely on sports as a way to relax, to vent out frustrations and emotional stress.
Those who also rely on sports as their main source of income, these people deserve tons of respect after being resilient despite the pandemic.
After months with no salary as local sports trainers, conditioning staff, referees, umpires, or even team facility employees, they still managed to hold their heads up high and think of alternative ways to support their families, we salute you all, with much love.
It’s true that 2020 did not go in our favor, but this would be more than enough to motivate us for a better and stronger 2021.
Us sportsmen should unite and provide all the necessary means to bring back what we’ve lost for sports while also keeping everybody safe despite the ongoing pandemic.
I’d like to commend Executive Assistant for Sports of Iloilo City Rudiver Jungco Sr. who found ways to revive the Iloilo City Sports Academy despite the crisis while at the same time observe the health protocols designed by the local Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases.
The Sports Academy was able to provide free sports training to Ilonggo kids in lawn tennis, arnis, boxing, chess, table tennis, and badminton in hopes of nurturing future Ilonggo champions.
Despite 2020 being a major shot to the gut for the majority, it was also a time for resurgence and bounce back for some to show that there will always be a rainbow after the rain.
Hope lies underneath. It’s up to us if we’re willing to believe.
With several lessons and experiences garnered in a wild 2020, I think we are more than ready for what lies ahead this new year.
May this challenging year serve as our inspiration to do more and to keep ourselves motivated until we reach what we want in life.
2021 is our year.
Let’s keep the ball rolling. It’s only us who can dictate it where we want to go.
It will still be us who will have full control of what will happen.
Cheers! Happy New Year everyone!
