• 
• 

Before, just participating was enough. Today, we are talking about medals - not just bronze and silver but also gold. However, now that the Olympics are over, we should all reflect on the future of sports and the role it should play in our lives. The high number of Thai sportsmen taking part in the Beijing Games shows that the Kingdom is not short of athletes. But the foundation from which they have emerged could be greatly improved.

First of all, most public schools and communities do not have adequate facilities to attract potential sports stars, much less adequate coaching staff and trainers.

But we can start changing things, albeit in a modest manner, by getting the local communities interested in sports, athletics as well as the values and principles that come with it. In other words, sport has to become a way of life.

This modest action should help us identify youngsters with good potential. Without offering the right opportunities, we will never know if there is a kid out there who can kick like Buttree Puedphong or deliver a straight jab like Somjit Jongjohor.

One way people can help map Thailand's future in the international sporting arena is to rethink the financing. There are various models around, like the United States, where the funding for the Olympics Committee is secured from a variety of individuals, corporate and community sources. There have been stories about primary-school students selling cookies and collecting deposits on recyclable bottles and cans to raise money for their Olympians.

This highly decentralised effort has proved popular for the Americans because everyone - down to the last penny-collecting eight-year-old - can point with pride to their contribution.