China stamped its class yet again in another spectacular show of power in the recently concluded Asian Games held in Guangzhou, one of China’s progressive western-style metropolises. Sports powerhouse China dominated the games with ease and hauled medals more than twice the medals won by second placer South Korea.
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Japan used to be great in sports but now trails South Korea and China in every sporting event. It seems that Japan is losing its luster and power of who’s who in Asia, economically, militarily and in sports.
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The Philippine Team placed 19th in the medal standing because sports officials do not have a clear sports program. Sports officials always fight for millions of funds. Athletes do not get much financial support. Sports development is limited to select discipline like basketball. The country spent millions for the team that placed 8th behind perennial Champion China.
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The Philippine basketball team is small in size by standard and yet basketball remain as the number one sport that get full support from the sporting, education and business sectors, private institutions and the government. Obviously, the stakeholders are concentrated on the game of basketball even though the team gets smother by the towering players from China, South Korea, Japan and other Middle Eastern teams like Iran
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Foreign hoopsters are regular fixture in the Philippine basketball especially African-Americans, half Filipino-half foreigners and some Africans that match the towering figure of the Chinese and other teams that parades 7 footers.
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Professional basketball in the Philippines is business and business is basketball. Teams are made up of big business entities that produce products with big market followers. Unlike in the NBA where States are represented as teams, the Philippines professional basketball dons jersey with the elaborate products’ name of respective teams.
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Boxing, soccer or football, baseball and other sports that do not needs height are often left with little support from the concerned sectors and the national government itself. Sports development in these disciplines does not get needed endorsement from the education sectors and industry leaders which has been in the forefront of enticing would be players in basketball.
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In the NBA, the Miami Heat All-Star trio of Lebron James, Chris Bosh and Dwane Wade is pathetically off to their worst collaboration in joining forces to win the NBA championship from Kobe and other would be championship caliber teams. James left Cleveland hoping to win big in Miami but it looks like James and co. are not prepared to hold the NBA trophy high above their All-Star status.
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Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar should be given a rematch against his conqueror Cain Velasquez. Lesnar was badly beaten by Velasquez in one of the exciting match in the UFC 121 battles of champions. The rematch would be exciting and hopefully Brock Lesnar will come up impressive and devastating like he used to be.
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