Pusod

Puso!

That was the rally cry of Filipinos supporting Gilas Pilipinas, the basketball team representing the country in  the FIBA world cup a couple of weeks back.

I wasn't a fan of the team, knowing full well that tournaments like these don't favor underdogs. It wasn't about being an un-patriotic citizen but more of being the casual observer who simply knows upsets in favor of Gilas Pilipinas are unlikely. 

Still, I have to commend the grit and determination of those who competed. But it doesn't change the fact that the team was woefully equipped, financially and genetically, against the juggernauts of the basketball world. 

I remember the lamentation of my PE teacher, a soccer coach, way back in college. He shakes his head whenever he mentions the nation's love affair with basketball and insists that it is soccer which offers the best chance to win gold medals. He backs this up by saying that soccer is a game which nullifies the advantage of height and favors petite players who can perform intricate footwork (think about Lionel Messi, for instance).

Anyways, arguments like these are rehashed. A lot of experts have already argued about prioritizing other sports (e.g. dragonboat racing, boxing etc.) where our Filipino athletes have a better chance of winning. But these sports don't seem to capture the nation's passion as much as basketball.

As to why this is, that's a question that demands a lot less heart and a lot more navel-gazing.