Win or Lose

by Katherine Bunao, Pil Joshua Boncocan and Mary Kristine Brizuela

There are things that can bring the Filipino nation in a passionate display of unity. Consequently, this unity is most apparent during sport competitions. It is not hard to depict. We are all united and certain with what purpose we are screaming for—it is to support the team holding the Filipino banner! Because yes, this team represents the nation’s pride!

True enough, there are many Filipino athletes. With this, it could be further deduced that many people are greatly interested in sport competitions. But then, it is also with this perspective that one could critique the attitudes portrayed when it comes to playing.

The aftermath of any game or competition could only be two—winning or losing.

Winning is the main goal of any athlete. It couldn’t be denied that for some, winning is their motive to play. They want to win, not just for the prize, but for the honor that they’ll bring back to their country. Also, it has something to do with the satisfaction and pride felt when they bag a place in the competition. It is so overwhelming that they could defeat their opponents. And the thing is, when Filipino athletes win, they know deep within that they did not just play for their selves—rather, they played for their fellow Filipinos, too.

Losing, on the other hand, appears to be a negative for most people.  But it is not.

It is true that there are Filipinos who get unsettled when losing a game. There are the sore losers, too. Since most strive to win, losing could be really hard to take. They think that they weren’t good enough. They think that they did not add up to the nation’s pride. In some circumstances, they think that they were cheated in the game.  But these should not be the case.

Losing is not bad. They should not feel upset about being defeated. What they should put to their minds is the experience. As it goes, all people learn from their mistakes and loss. With this, they could step up and enhance their skills— from losing, the next thing will be their win.

Yet at the end of it all, win or lose, one could most definitely say that Filipino athletes have the attitude of giving their best. They prove to everyone that as Filipinos, they do not fail the hope of giving an “excellent game”. Already, this matters a lot.