PFDA Beach Nationals 2018: Boracay Dragons, The Number 1 Beach Ultimate Mixed Team in The Philippines. Home Team Batang Mandaya Number 2 in the Country.
The moment that all Ultimate Beach Bums have been waiting for is finally here! 11 exciting teams from all corners of the country flew into Davao City. And after a three and a half hour of ziggy zaggy road trip, and a short stopover in the Sleeping dinosaur (or was it a Pawikan?), the visitors arrived in the most best-kept treasure in the south and the battleground for the first ever PFDA Beach Nationals.
Welcome to Dahican Beach, Mati City, Davao Oriental!
There was a short but sweet amount of rain on Friday morning, but when the skies cleared just before lunchtime, we witnessed what this beautiful stress-free zone has to offer; crystal clear blue waters, white sands, and of course, positive vibration everywhere from both locals and guests!
The PFDA Beach Nationals began with a fun HAT tournament with some of the best beach players in the country who participated and showcased their talent and what we will expect in the next coming days. With my short visit on the playing fields, it seems like everyone was having a great time. It's going to be a fun weekend.
After waking up at 5 o clock in the morning to witness the sun rising from the horizon of Dahican Beach, the pioneering beach teams began their journey to victory in a hot, clear sky and calm weather environment. It was gorgeous. The tournament kicked off with such a positive and competitive response from all teams. There were a lot of exciting games all day long and as expected, there were more daredevils on sand than any fields in an ultimate tournament.
Teams like the Boracay Dragons, Chill Side, BatMan (Batang Mandaya), Caution!, and SSG went all out every single game. Though many of them said that they really did not get a chance to train together, the teams in this year's Beach Nationals still managed to show teamwork and lots of hard work every time they were on the pitch.
With three playing fields in the beautiful beaches of Dahican in front of Menzi's Resort Park & Campsite, Mati City is definitely a perfect spot for the first ever Beach Nationals in the Philippines. It's not as grandiose and vast as the island of Boracay, but Dahican definitely has its own appeal and charm. If Boracay has the most beautiful sunsets, Mati has the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen. The locals always wear a smile on their faces, and there is really nothing else for you to do but to sit back, have some fresh seafood, relax, and enjoy this majestic masterpiece. As the home team Batang Mandaya showed everyone how they play in their home sand of Dahican Beach. Mati City is not just a skim and surf site anymore, this beach of Mati is now also known as the home turf of one of the best Beach Ultimate team in the Philippines. Period.
Just like Mati's chill environment, The Beach Nats also prepared a chill Saturday socials night. A few drinks here and there, enjoying each others company under the beautiful night sky along the beach. It was a relaxing night, but it was all business when the sun rises again the next day. It's all or nothing in Day 2 as teams were now trying to move on to the next round. Top beach teams from Luzon, Team Yapan and Caution! had a good run, same with Mindanao teams, Kidapawan Ultimate, U9600, and #FY to name a few. They almost had their chance to reach the top, but didn’t make the cut and gave the Dragons, Chill Side, SSG, and BatMan the chance to qualify in the Final Four.
Batang Mandaya showed dominance in their semifinal game against The South Side Guerrillas. Chillside, on the other hand, gave the Beach Kings and Queens of Asia a run for their money as the Castor to Barak two-point bomb attempts against Popoy and Quenjune of the Dragons almost gave everyone a heart attack and sore throats due to screaming and cheering all throughout the point. Unfortunately for Team Chill Side, Castor and Barak failed to connect the two-point bomb attempts, and the Dragons sealed the victory in the end to face a hungrier home team, Batang Mandaya for the Beach Nationals Championship.
The first ever Philippine Beach Nationals championship game began with an impressive hand block from Jan Jan Sumading of BatMan against Qhenjune that brought the house down, but the Dragons immediately retaliated and grabbed the lead after successfully scoring a couple more points. But just like most of the best beach teams around the country and abroad, Batang Mandaya continued to grind it out and take every opportunity that was given to them up until they tied the score in the later part of the game. It was a battle to the end. BatMan showed everyone that they can compete with the big dogs of Beach Ultimate in the country, But Popoy, Quenjune, Jordan and Jeff Paloy showed everyone the experience that they got from representing the country during the 2017 World Championships Of Beach Ultimate in Royan, France. The Dragons controlled the situation and finished on top at the end of the game.
This year, The Boracay Dragons are the number 1 Beach Ultimate Mixed Team in the Philippines.
The Nationals, may it be on grass or sand, is the most important tournament a team should be qualified on. It is the tournament that every club team needs to save up for. It is a bigger deal to win a Nationals Championship than any tournament in the country. That is why top teams in the Philippines like Sunken Pleasure and Vicious are still fighting for the top spot on grass every single year. And I'm pretty sure that top teams on beach like the Dragons, BatMan and Chillside will do the same in the next coming years. That's why it's called “The Nationals”.
Congratulations PFDA Board for a very successful Beach Nationals. A big thank you to the city of Mati for your hospitality all throughout the weekend.
The Philippine Beach Nationals is finally here. We believe that it's going to be bigger and more competitive in the coming years.
It is Beach Ultimate.
We are one of the best beach ultimate countries in the world and we sure do have some of the best beaches in the world.
It's time for the beach ultimate players to shine.
Here's to the person who put her heart to it all these years.
And now her dream is finally a reality.
Congratulations and Thank you, Karen Cabrera.
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