Last March, Chooks-to-Go, together with Gold’s Gym, pledged to support the Pilipinas Warriors in all of their endeavors. And they have seen gradual improvements in their program.
The Warriors are coming off an overseas training program in South Korea to train. But it’s not just international exposure that they got, but also the chance to train on a wooden court.
“Actually, may konting hugot. Totoo yun. Kasi we’ve been practicing for six years on and off and always, nasa cement court kami,” disclosed Warriors head coach Vernon Perea during the Chooks-to-Go-hosted sendoff to the 2018 FIBA U18 Asian Championship. “So, magpra-practice kami, two months, one month, tapos pagdating ng competition, darating ka dun, itatapon mo yung dalawang araw ng competition, wala ka nang maipapanalo.
“Iba kasi yung gulong ng wheels natin sa semento. So magtataka ka pagdating sa actual venue, hindi kami makatulak.
“We’d like to take this opportunity to thank boss Ronald [Mascarinas]. This is the first time we met him personally, but ‘yung pinapadala nilang tulong, lagi naming nakikita. Napaka-saya po namin dahil for several years already, yung existence ng Pilipinas Warriors, ngayon lang kami nagkaroon ng magandang preparation kasi ngayon lang kami nakapag-laro sa wooden court,” expressed Perea.
Perea – together with Warriors Freddie Magdayo, Marcos Rabasto, Jefferson Legacion, Mark Anthony Ramirez, and John Rey Esclante – personally thanked Mascarinas for his continuous support to their program.
The Warriors could not compete in this year’s Asian Para Games as they were not able to play in the qualifiers last March. The reason? Their wheelchairs were not the standard in international competitions.
But with the team gaining backers, they are out to prove that they belong come the 2020 SEA Para Games.
“2020, yun yung pinaghahandaan namin.”
