Giant slayers. Champion killers.
Call them whatever you like, but for Kia assistant coach Chito Victolero, Kia Carnival’s victories were simply product of hard work put in by the team during practice and at play.
They realized they can win big once they continue to work hard whichever the opponent is.
“We have a tendency to relax. We had back-to-back wins, but we lost to Blackwater because we relaxed. Tonight, we put our hard work and dedication back with us, kaya kami nanalo against Alaska,” said Victolero.
The Carnival have established a reputation as an upset-conscious squads, bringing down one champion squad after another. The team defeated Philippine Cup champion San Miguel Beer, Grand Slam champs Purefoods Star, and Talk ‘N Text, a dominant team which won many titles from 2009 to 2012.
When asked about his thoughts of his team winning against champion squads, Victolero downplayed such achievement.
“Natataon lang,” he added. “But I challenged the boys to play hard this time.”
For Victolero, the team’s goal is to make it to the playoffs. With four wins in nine games, the Carnival moved up to eighth spot.
“That’s our goal, to make it to the playoffs, but we have to treat it one game at a time,” he added.
If there’s one thing that makes Victolero happy, it’s how the team has been playing well with more cohesion.
“We’re playing better now as a team. Mas pag-iigihan pa naming yung pag-develop ng chemistry namin,” he concluded.
