Markwin Tee
By Sharon Chua
The recently concluded Southeast Asian Games heralded the birth of a new overall champion, the Philippines. Contributing to this distinction was the grand showing of the Filipino athletes who competed in over 40 different sporting events and garnered an impressive 113 gold, 84 silver, and 94 bronze medals.
One of the most notable victories during the past games was the golden finish of Ateneo de Manila's Markwin Tee in bowling. As the youngest member of the team that represented the Philippines, Markwin won the gold by crushing Remy Ong of Singapore, 437-366, during the SEA Games' Masters Event held on December 4, 2005.
Shy, humble, and at times self-deprecating, Markwin seems unaffected by his historic victory. Yet, despite downplaying his impressive achievements, his passion for bowling clearly shines through. There is an unmistakable glimmer in his eyes when he talks about bowling matters, showing deep knowledge and love for the game he has invested much of his life in.
Although
the SEA Games was not his first major international competition, it was the
first time Markwin donned the Philippine's colors as part of the country's
official bowling contingent. As such, there were no expectations weighing
down on him from his more experienced teammates. The only thing he was
constantly told was to not hold himself back; this was crunch time, and he
had to exhaust all his talents and skills not only for the team, but more so
for the country's pride.
Going into the homestretch of the SEA games, the whole country was wildly frenetic following gold medal finishes in other events. The Masters was one of the last to be contested, and one of the most widely anticipated. A gold medal would be the icing on the victory cake of the Philippines. Held on a lazy December Sunday afternoon, hordes of supporters, bowling aficionados and spectators alike, trooped to the Pearl Bowling Plaza in Parañaque to cheer and boost the morale of the players.
Not a single Filipino was disappointed. Their pilgrimage was richly rewarded with gold medals emerging from the victories of Markwin Tee and teammate Liza Clutario for the Women's Masters. The double gold was even more propitious as it propelled the RP team to an over-all first place finish in bowling.
Yet, Markwin is not one to rest on past victories, easily forgetting about his fresh win in order to focus on the bigger fish at hand, the long-awaited Asian games gold. As the third in rank in the RP men's team, Markwin is a shoo-in for the squad that will battle it out for bowling supremacy in Doha, Qatar during the latter part of this year.
Rest and relaxation will only be a remote possibility, should he make it to the Asian games contingent. Aside from the regular trainings, international competitions for exposure have been lined up. Thankfully, the RP bowling team is well funded, allowing the players to focus more on their sport rather than on the not-so-trivial matter of finance. From top-of-the-line bowling balls and ultra-modern shoes, to international airfare tickets and pocket money, the only thing Markwin needs to worry about is bowling a perfect game.
It is a wonder how Markwin manages to squeeze in his university education amidst the chaotic world of product endorsements, daily trainings, international competitions, and captaining for the RP Youth Bowling Team. Fortunately, athletic privileges given by the Ateneo, as well as a dogged persistence to balance school and sport, has helped him cope with his increasingly demanding workload. By devoting time to accomplish all his schoolwork in the mornings, he has been able to free up his afternoons for bowling. Discipline has helped a great deal, both in the academic rigors he is facing as a graduating senior and in the athletic endeavors he is pursuing.
Despite being a national athlete, Markwin has never let his studies become second priority. He has never made bowling a reason not to excel in his classes, and professors appreciate the fact that he never asks for special treatment if and when he has to miss classes due to tournaments. And although most of his teachers support him, Markwin, like any other Atenean, has to face the consequences of missed tests and assignments. He attributes this value of responsibility to the lessons his parents have constantly instilled in him from Day One of his bowling career. Right from the start, his parents made him promise that bowling would never get in the way of his studies. Markwin certainly has not disappointed them.
Come March 2006, Markwin will proudly hand his parents his Ateneo diploma, the final testament to the promise he has kept since his Xavier High School days. Yet, even before he dons the coveted blue toga, Markwin will hopefully be knee-deep in Asian games preparations, readying himself for a different challenge in a different arena. The Philippines will watch with bated breath as bowling's golden child takes to the limelight once again, for they see in him the hope that the elusive Asian games gold will finally be within reach.