Is Philippine sports experiencing a 'Golden Age'? Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski says it's more than just the medals

The Philippines had its most successful stint in the Olympics in the 2020 Tokyo Games where it finished with its first gold medal, as well as two silver medals, and a bronze medal.

Aside from the Olympics, Filipino athletes have been dominating the world stage such as in the cases of world medalists EJ Obiena and Carlos Yulo, and tennis Grand Slam titleholder Alex Eala.

Is the Philippines experiencing a 'golden age' in sports?

For International Olympic Committee executive board member Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski, the success of sports should not just be about the medals.

"We are competitors. We love medals. We love to win. But for me, it's like we can win more. And if we don't win more, we have to be sure that we're producing better people [and] that sports is producing better people who are better off because they were in sports than if they were not in sports," Cojuangco-Jaworski said in an episode of "Surprise Guest with Pia Arcangel."

Cojuangco-Jaworski said sports should be a platform to develop people and instill in them values and is not just about competing and winning.

"Out of the entire population of the world every four years of a Summer Olympic games only 350 People can be a gold medalist or teams, or silver or bronze but does that mean 'yung effort na nilagay mo sa sports, whether naging national athlete ka or recreational athlete ka, na hindi ka nagkakasakit dahil physically fit ka, na hindi ka nakakabigat sa pamilya mo dahil sakitin ka, or nalulong ka sa masamang bisyo, kasi kung hindi ka nag-sports siguro marami kang time magbulakbol. Or siguro hindi ka naging as physically fit as you could have been," she said.

"So there are social benefits to sports. And it doesn't have to be all about just the medals for me. But those are intangibles di ba, hindi nabibilang 'yun pero [ang] medalya nabibilang, ang medalya nagbibigay ng honor, nagbibigay ng inspirasyon," she added. "Nagiging united when we have, you know, athletes who perform well. So at the top level and the bottom level of sports, it's a service."

"So for me, a 'golden age,' I believe in the Filipino that we can do more but we also have to change 'yung attitude that it's not just about the medals. It's about how we work. It's about how we get there."

Previously, EJ Obiena said the country is experiencing a 'Golden Age' in sports, but also said the country can do better.

—JMB, GMA News