SPORTS will always be an integral part of my life and I will never forget the pain and hardships that I had to endure, but giving honor to my country made everything worthwhile. The emotions that I felt during my days as a national athlete are unexplainable and the experiences I gained will never be fathomed.

I started in sports at a very young age. I took up taekwondo when I was about 10 years old and a few years later, I won my first medal in a national competition – a silver. I have always thought that winning a medal is a measure of success but in my mind and heart, I knew I still lost.

I was given a break in 1988 and became part of the junior national team that competed in a dual match between the Philippines and Korea – the world’s taekwondo hotbed. I fought hard and gave my best, but again I fell short to a more skilful opponent and it was another disappointment for me.

In 1992 during the ASEAN Taekwondo Championships in Malaysia, my second fight was against a Korean champion and my teammates would jokingly say that I was as good as dead. Yes, I did lose again and it was heartbreaking, but I believe I made a very good account of myself which boosted my confidence and that experience gave me the drive to be more focused that one day I will win the gold.

During the finals of the 1994 Asian Taekwondo Championships held in Manila, I faced a daunting and lanky 6 foot 9 inch Korean superstar - the Olympic champion.

He was introduced first and the huge Filipino crowd gave him the hospitality cheer. But when I was introduced, a deafening silence enveloped the arena probably because I was only 6 feet tall seemingly no match to my imposing foe.

My first reaction was, “what happened to the crowd? I’m a Filipino and no one cheered for me?” But I refused to be distracted for I was focused, determined and this time, ready physically and mentally more than ever.

It was a very close fight and I was extremely exhausted but in the dying minutes of the bout, I gave all that was left in me and scored the winning point to the delight of the crowd.

I finally did it and won the lone gold medal for the country in that tough and prestigious event. I couldn’t hear anything but the roar of the hometown crowd and my team mates, who were tossing me in the air, cheered in disbelief.

The moral of this story is… “Never give up and always believe in yourself. To win, one must learn how to lose.”

This column is dedicated to the Filipino youth, sportsmen and to all those who have somehow contributed to the country’s pursuit for excellence through sports.