Team Pilipinas Be Proud. Stay Proud. Pinoy Pride!
It's my second time traveling overseas this year to cover Team Philippines' quest for gold in an international arena. The WFDF Asia Oceanic Ultimate Championships in Hong Kong may not be as big as the World Championships of Beach Ultimate in Dubai last March, but the AOUC 2015 has made it to the top of my list as a strong contender for the most unforgettable photo coverage this year for 2 solid reasons. Reason number 1: We finally got the GOLD! And number 2: I can finally cross out the box that says: "To be one of the official photographers of a tournament held outside of the Philippines" from my bucket list.
It was such an amazing experience and a huge honor to be called as one of the official photographers in the international stage. It was also a humbling experience seeing all these amazing sports photographers all over Asia in one tournament. I still have a lot of things to learn and more gears to own just to be on their level. But, I know I did my very best to cover the event. It's all that I can do.
Team Pilipinas (TP).
I photographed the TP games as much as I can during the three day tournament. I didn't get all the highlights, obviously, since I was jumping from one field to another just like what I usually do when I need to cover multiple fields. I know I should already be used to it by now, but it's still tough for me if I'm not able to capture the greatest moments, most especially if it's the Team Philippines's highlights. But, I had a job to do in Hong Kong. Though it pains me not to give more attention to the TP games, I also have my own challenge to accomplish; and that is to deliver good ultimate images to the tournament organizers, to the participating countries and most of all, to the Philippine Ultimate Community back home.
But, let me tell you one thing. You all should be very proud of our Team. They fought hard. In every game, they battled every point as one. Every time they stepped on the field, they believed that they can do everything. They believed that anything is possible. They believed that they can win.
And they surely did.
The women's team though, despite having a huge height disadvantage surprised everyone and gained high respects from the rest of the participating countries. They played smart Ultimate all throughout the tournament, and they were actually favored to go all the way to the finals. The Open team on the other hand, struggled a bit on the first day of the tournament as they tasted defeat against the powerhouse teams from Japan and Australia. But, the Bisaya Wild Mongrels gathered strength from each other and gained back their momentum on the second day, and had a do or die rematch against the mighty Japan team in the semis. Both teams failed to advance to the final rounds of their divisions, but the Binibining Pilipinas and the Mongrels bounced back to win the Bronze, defeating Australia and Chinese Taipei, respectively.
They had a dream back then. That one day, we can finally see our great flag on top of the Ultimate pedestal. That one day we can call ourselves as the number one team in Asia. On the 29th day of November, that Ultimate dream became an Ultimate reality, as Team Pilipinas Mixed Team worked together as one strong unit all throughout the weekend. They battled with tough teams like Korea in the quarters, Japan in the semis and Australia in the Finals. Finally, we won the Gold!
That semi-final game against the mighty Japan was the turning point of it all, in my opinion. They played phenomenal Ultimate. Great teamwork. Great Spirit. They played with heart. They left it all on the field. It was perfect. After defeating Japan, they continued their amazing streak all the way to the finals giving the Aussies a hard time every point, and at the end, team captain, Xtian Guerrero scored the final point to seal the deal. It was a sweet victory for the Filipinos.
Two Bronze medals and a Gold. The Philippines is the only country in this year's AOUC to have a podium finish in all three divisions. It was a very successful AOUC campaign to say the least. It was really a dream come true for Team Pilipinas. And perhaps a dream come true for the whole Philippine Ultimate community to be able to finally call ourselves as champions in Asia.
In my case, through my images, I hope that I have represented our country well in the photography world. This would never be possible if not for all the people who believed in me from the start. They are the ones who made my dream a reality. You know who you guys are. And I seriously, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Until then... More images to share. More stories to tell... It's All About U!
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