Like many athletes, Borris “Brusko” Parro dedicates his game to his family, recognizing the sacrifices they’ve made for his love and passion for the sport.
For Brusko, this dedication became even more personal as he offered his first-ever championship title to honor his grandmother, who passed away just before the playoffs began.
The 21-year-old roamer’s remarkable achievement came after Fnatic ONIC Philippines defeated Aurora, 4-3, in the MPL Philippines Season 14 grand finals on Sunday evening at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati.
Brusko first learned of his grandmother’s hospitalization from his brother following FNOP’s historic regular season, where they finished as the top-seeded team with a 13-1 record.
“Dine-dedicate ko talaga yung season na ‘to para sa lola ko. Kasi bago mag-playoffs nabigla ako, minessage ako ng kuya ko. Sinabi na na-hospital na daw yung lola ko two days ago na,” said Brusko.
“Pero hindi nila sinabi sa akin kasi baka maapektuhan yung laro ko. ‘Tas ‘yon, umuwi ako agad para bisitahin yung lola ko. Tapos [nakita ko na lang] yung lola ko na hindi na dumidilat or di na makadilat,” he continued, recalling the emotional moment when he returned home to see his grandmother.
Though his grandmother couldn’t open her eyes, Brusko believed she could still hear him. He reassured her that she should watch him from heaven as he pursued the championship, knowing she had little time left.
“Pero ramdam ko na naririnig niya ako. Tsaka sinabi ko sa kanya na bago ako umuwi sa bootcamp, ‘Lola, panoorin mo na lang ako sa langit.’ Kasi parang three-percent na lang yung chance niya na mag-survive. Kaya sinabi ko na lang na, ‘La, panoorin mo na lang kami. Magcha-champion kami.’”
After returning to the bootcamp to prepare for the playoffs, Brusko received the heartbreaking news that his grandmother had passed away.
“After ko nakauwi ng bootcamp, saka po siya pumanaw. So parang ako na lang yung hinihintay ng lola ko, sabi ng mama ko. Kasi parang lumalaban pa yung lola ko eh. Hinihintay lang siguro ako.”
