OWS PH: Tempers flare as Team Gravity loses another man

Things heated up in the second episode of “ONE Warrior Series Philippines” after Team Gravity’s Ralf Francisco received the boot, while the usually level-headed Mark Sangiao revealed his tough side for the first time.

Sangiao tested the 15 warriors in a grueling cardiovascular workout. They ran atop Bineng Road in La Trinidad, Benguet – a five-kilometer uphill course – in just 40 minutes.

The catch? No athlete could be left behind and they had to reach the finish line as a group.

So, when Sangiao saw them show up one by one, the usually mild-mannered coach ripped into the athletes and punished them with 50 pushups.

“Earlier, I was preaching about teamwork, but some of you were too individualistic. You were only looking after yourself,” Sangiao said.

“Your coaches were at the back, supporting your weaker teammates who fell behind. I hope we all learned a lesson here. That’s why I’ve decided that nobody won.”

This event led to the second episode’s Warrior Challenge, and it didn’t get easier for the athletes. The challenge was called “Beasts of Burden” and had the aspirants run uphill with heavy sacks. The team with the heaviest total weight at the end of the race would be declared the winner.

Tempers flared in the challenge, though, as Team Passion’s Ariel Oliveros and Team Gravity’s Genil Francisco got into a shoving incident midway through, and when cooler heads prevailed, it was Team Passion who hauled up 650 kilograms and got the win over Team Gravity, who finished 100 kilograms short of it rival.

This resulted in the Circle Elimination showdown that pitted Francisco against RJ Ortega, and the coaches decided it was Francisco’s time to go.

“Ralf, you took so many kicks and I noticed that you were severely hurt. You also ran out of gas during your fight, but I was moved by your passion,” Sangiao said about the Filipino’s sparring performance.

But Sangiao also noticed some troubling things about Francisco.

“On Team Lakay, we’ve had a lot of wins and a lot of losses. But we always have respect, humility, and values. An athlete’s attitude is important,” he added. “No matter what heights you reach internationally, even if you win a belt, an athlete’s attitude is the most important thing.

“Based on the challenges, based on the weight cuts, based on your attitude during the challenges, your attitude was one of the deciding factors in your elimination. I hope you’ve learned a lot during this challenge – goodbye.”