By Ronnie Nathanielsz

AMID the increasingly distressing situation in Philippine sports, which appears to reflect in large measure the national landscape where corruption, utter incompetence and a callous disregard for the public welfare are prevalent, there comes a bright shining light of redemption, this time in the person of a 16-year-old boy, who became the first Filipino to win a grand-slam tennis title.

Wiry but courageous, Francis Casey ?Ni?o? Alcantara teamed up with Chinese Taipei?s Cheng Peng Hsieh to win the Junior Boys? doubles title at the Australian Open, beating the fancied tandem of Russia?s Mikhal Biryukov and Japan?s Yasutaka Uchiyama in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, in a match that lasted some 42 minutes.

As former national junior standout and current Philippine Tennis Association official Randy Villanueva pointed out, Alcantara is the Manny Pacquiao of tennis, because he comes from humble beginnings in Cagayan de Oro and has been able to overcome the fact that he is neither tall nor strongly built, with grim determination and strength of will plus unmatched courage on the court.

Alcantara?s coach, former Davis Cup doubles specialist Jun Toledo, points to his Pacquiao-like strengths, speed on the court and a remarkable heart that drives him never to give up.

We have watched this young boy the past couple of years and have been impressed by the inner confidence he has shown and his readiness to make the sacrifices necessary to reach new heights in a fiercely competitive sport where, if not for the passionate involvement of such fine gentleman as Oscar Hilado, Romy Chan and Jean Henri Lhuillier, young men like Alcantara would never get a chance to hone their God-given talent in the regional and international circuit.

The sadness of our time is that while there are individuals and corporations willing if not eager to spend millions on basketball, the effort to get even a small share channeled to other sports deserving of attention and where Filipinos have a chance to succeed, is often a task bordering on the hopeless.

With Manuel V. Pangilinan and Ricky Vargas of PLDT-Smart now deeply involved in amateur boxing and hopefully able to hammer out a sensible fight-plan leading to the quest for an elusive Olympic gold medal and backing up the effort with substantial resources, the sport where we are blessed with one of the greatest professional champions of all time, Pacquiao, is being given the attention it richly deserves.

But it?s the total environment of Philippine sports that gnaws at the guts because of its mediocrity, not among our athletes, but because of our so-called leaders, whose endless bickering is a disgrace. Imagine appointing Harry Angping as Philippine Sports Commission chairman? What criteria was used to qualify him for the position? Was it because his wife is a congresswoman close to the powers-that-be? Range whatever positive criteria he may possess against the reality that as softball president he didn?t stage a single tournament or call a single meeting in four years, which resulted in his replacement. Was his claim to fame the maneuvering to prevent a genuine lover of the sport and a great achiever in his time, former Pasig Mayor Mario Raymundo returning to the helm of a sport for which he did so much? Questions about his citizenship notwithstanding, it?s the nature of the choice that rankles as it does in many other appointments where competence and integrity are ignored and mere connections and loyalty rewarded.

Loyalty we have always maintained is a virtue. But the loyalty of sports leaders must be to the sports they represent and the athletes, who carry our nation?s colors and the intrinsic values and virtues of sportsmen.

We also have the spectacle of the Games and Amusements Board boxing division which is an unmitigated mess. How can the GAB approve a succession of Thai patsies coming over to fight talented Filipinos in glaring mismatches that continue to effectively swindle the public? How can the GAB bask in the ridiculous spectacle of seeing two foreigners fight in a main event as though they were Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in the historic ?Thrilla in Manila?? How can the WBO be allowed to virtually manufacture titles without compunction, as rapidly as fake diplomas churned out in Recto Avenue and get away with it, charging Filipino promoters sanction fees and the cost of championship belts manufactured in Thailand and peddled by the WBO regional chairman?

The sad part is that with a champion of the incredible international stature of Pacquiao, one would expect boxing to be on a pedestal and a glowing example for all other sports to emulate. Instead, boxing wallows in a cesspit of incompetence, gross neglect and lack of integrity that will sooner rather than later wreck the sport and drive away the fans especially when Pacquiao hangs up his gloves. That indeed, will be a sad day for boxing and Philippine sports.