The rise of virtual sports competitions

Since the Philippines first joined the Olympics in 1924, the country has yet to win a gold medal. After Pinoy athletes’ explosive performance in the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games that racked a total of 386 medals (149 of which were gold), the nation and its superstar athletes were priming themselves to finally bagging that coveted top spot in the 2020 Olympics.

However, that dream was dashed away this year as the COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm. People were mandated to stay indoors and avoid mass gatherings. International travel was discouraged to stop spreading the disease. In March, after much deliberation, the International Olympic Committee announced that the 2020 Olympics Games would be postponed to 2021.

Amid the global halt to international sporting events, a new trend of athletic competitions rose. Since athletes can’t travel and compete physically, the sports world took advantage of the virtual space, and pivoted to holding online competitions. Basically, athletes are required to submit video entries of them performing their skills for their respective sport, and a panel of judges deliberate on who displayed the most impressive performance. Some Pinoy athletes took this opportunity to showcase their skills, and bring pride to the nation.

In June, Cebuana Margielyn Didal, who put skateboarding on the Philippine sports map after bagging a gold medal in the 2018 Asian Games, took the international spotlight once again after winning the 2020 Asian Skateboarding Championship Lockdown 5 online competition. The 2019 SEA Games double gold medalist bested 160 entries from 24 countries in the said tournament.

A month later, Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz won in the 59kg category of the 2020 Oceania Weightlifting Federation (OWF) Eleiko Email International Lifters Tournament. Diaz’s victorious moment was bittersweet as the win was announced on the day she was supposed to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Another athlete who has been continuously competing in global virtual competitions is Pinoy Karateka James delos Santos, winning his back-to-back championships for online karate tournaments on September 20. Competing relentlessly in the sport, he recently won his 11th at and 12th gold medals at the Tokaido Maribor Open E-Tournament and Venice Cup 2020 #2 respectively.

“I first started when a teammate sent me an invitation to the Palestine International Karate Cup, which took place last April. That was my first virtual gold medal,” delos Santos shared. Since then, he has competed in over twenty tournaments, and he doesn’t plan on stopping. In fact, he has three more competitions scheduled soon.

The good thing about online competitions is that athletes have the opportunity to take as many videos as he or she wants. “Competing athletes can always review themselves, and do another take if there is still room to improve. Virtual tournaments are also an opportunity for athletes to compete with players from around the world, just from home. They also don’t cost much to join, which is beneficial for athletes who can’t afford to travel to actual tournaments in far places,” delos Santos explained.

However, this advantage can be a tiring process because most of the time, athletes won’t feel satisfied with their performance, and will always strive for perfection. Plus, waiting for the final results can be nerve-wracking as they are announced a day after you submit your entries.

Although competing in virtual competitions has its ups and downs, Delos Santos recognizes that he’s blessed because he can still compete, and he encourages other athletes to keep their hopes up as well. “I know that it’s difficult for all of us around the world. But that doesn’t mean we should stop. In any situation you’re in, whether good or bad, there is always an opportunity. Don’t be discouraged. You just have to find it,” he shared.

Of course, virtual competitions are drastically different from traditional tournaments, and delos Santos admits he misses being in the karate mat. “I miss the thrill of traditional competitions, where you perform in front of an audience. Traveling is also something I miss, because it allowed me to discover and learn new things,” he mused.

The world is still in a waiting game, as scientists and other frontliners fight to end this pandemic once and for all. So while delos Santos and other Filipino athletes await the return of more traditional sporting events, sports competitions in the virtual space give them a platform to showcase their skills, and bring pride to the nation. The heart of Filipino champions remains strong, and will weather any storm that comes their way.