Background
Eric was born with Primary Lung Complex.
Eric was born with Primary Lung Complex.
Eric ventured into swimming not because he dreamed of winning an Olympic gold medal, but because his doctor advised him to venture into sports to improve his lungs. He enrolled in a two-week swimming program at the age of seven. Yet his training was breached by another illness, hepatitis.
However, this didn"t stop him.
A year later he was training again and taking the advance course in swimming, the competitive course, at age nine. But it was in his first Southeast Asian Games in 1985, held in Bangkok, Thailand, where he snatched the gold in the same category at the age of fifteen.
He participated in the 1988 Summer Olympics and was also chosen as the country"s flag bearer for the opening ceremonies. In the 1989 Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Buhain broke one of the existing Southern Economic Association, USA Games swimming records.
In the 1991 Southeast Asian Games, where the Philippines was the host, he made a huge contribution to the gold medal record of the host country by winning most of the events in swimming.
With great jubilation, he was chosen to represent the Philippines in the 1992 Summer Olympics. He was disappointed on poor government management that led to a mediocre performance of the Philippine team in that sporting event. In 2001, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed Buhain as the chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission after learning the Philippines poor international ranking in sports.
He instituted reforms that led to protest to some commissioners and employees.
Barely six months before the 2005 Southeast Asian Games he was appointed by President Arroyo as the chairman of the Games and Amusement Board, a public agency that handles professional sporting and gambling events.
By 1981, he was a member of the Philippine Team and swam in the 400-meter individual medley at age eleven.