MANILA, Philippines - It was a busy Wednesday night at Beijing?s Workers? Gymnasium, the venue of the Olympics? boxing matches.

There was a lot to see: the Olympic mascots leading a cheer, the noisy boy wearing a Ukraine shirt, Kobe Bryant somewhere in the stands, the fans who started doing the Mexican wave.

But the eyes of every Filipino in the stadium were focused on one athlete?Harry Tañamor, the 30-year-old boxer from Zamboanga who was there to fight for the country in a light flyweight match against Manyo Plange of Ghana.

?Phi-li-ppine! Phi-li-ppine!? people in the stadium chanted. The lack of the letter ?s? was a clear sign Filipinos weren?t the only ones cheering.

Four rounds later and the Ghanian was declared victorious. While Plange fought smartly, his strategy clear in every move, Tañamor was the fervent fighter, bold and aggressive. It was easy to see that he wanted to win, and win badly.

Such is the passion of the Filipino athlete.

Minutes after the fight, Tañamor emerged outside the stadium, clearly disappointed by his loss. But he was flanked by Filipinos shaking his hand, greeting him warmly, posing for photographs with him.

Great support

Among those who were there for Harry was Microsoft?s Philippine delegation led by Ivan Franco, Microsoft Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) marketing manager, and Jonathan de Jesus, partner account manager for Microsoft Philippines? OEM group.

Microsoft has shown great support for the Filipino athletes with its Olympinoy campaign.
?This partnership with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) aims to empower our Filipino athletes at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and enjoin the Filipino people to rally behind them,? said Franco.

?We realized that in the Philippines, sports is really a unifying factor and that despite all the hardwork and dedication of our athletes, they really don?t get that much in terms of compensation. It?s sad, because our athletes are very talented and we know that they have the potential to achieve even greater heights. All they really needed is more support.?

Microsoft donated one million pesos to the POC as funding for the 2008 Olympic Games.

There were many other facets to the Olympinoy project. Microsoft drove awareness on the Filipino athletes, creating an ad campaign featuring the different athlete?s stories.

?We wanted to highlight the athletes? personal stories because we felt that they are good role-models for our youth and could inspire our countrymen,? said
Franco.

People can still read about the different athletes?boxer Harry Tañamor, archer Mark Javier, Taekwondo champ Mary Antoinette Rivero, divers Rexel Ryan Fabriga and Sheila Mae Perez and Taekwondo Jin Tshomlee Go?on Microsoft?s Olympinoy website www.microsoft.com/philippines/olympinoy.

Franco added, ?Our athletes are talented and yet very humble. We found that the thing that sets Filipino athletes apart is their heart. They usually stand out in competitions because they can still smile and laugh even if they lose. Some of these athletes have proven that despite all odds, they remained committed to their passion and craft to bring honor to our nation.
?Sheila, for example, used to dive from makeshift wooden diving boards. Ryan decided to brave Manila, away from his family, just so he could train. Mark set aside his dreams of a career in IT to focus on archery, and most of them have given up a lot of recreational time for training. For me, all our athletes are already winners because of their hard work and unmatched commitment.?

Microsoft also launched a fundraising campaign where a portion of every sale of an OEM product went to a pot meant for an athlete who would bring home a gold medal. The pot, which has reached over a million pesos, might also be used as funding for the training of Filipino athletes.

Olympic promo

The POC appreciates Microsoft?s support. ?We are delighted to have Microsoft Philippines as one of our partners in supporting our Philippine team. The talent and heart of our young athletes are what sets them apart from the rest. And added support from Filipinos will surely boost their morale, as they show the world the greatness of skill and spirit that is uniquely Filipino,? said Peping Cojuangco, president of the POC.

Microsoft also wanted its consumers to enjoy the Olympic fever. They held a promo, allowing consumers who purchased an OEM product license to join a raffle.

The winners, Adel Lardizabal Jr., Leonardo Faller and Adonis Datu, won trips to the Beijing Olympics. The store/distributor with the highest OEM sales from March 30-June 30 were also awarded trips to the Olympics.

There, they were able to witness the athletes compete in boxing and archery. Franco said, ?It really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You saw how sports could really bring the world together. Just seeing our own athletes compete in archery and boxing made me very proud to be a Filipino. Every moment in the competitions, we saw was proof of the infamous Pinoy fighting spirit.?

For Franco, a medal would only be a bonus.

?One of the best highlights of the experience for me was getting to wear our country?s colors in the global arena and showing the world how proud we are to be Filipinos. We might not have witnessed any of our own win a medal, but just the experience of being there, cheering for our athletes, and knowing that in that particular moment, wherever the Filipino is?in Beijing, the Philippines, or in other parts of the world?we?re all just rooting for one team, win or lose. ?