ATO Ni Bai ruled the Beach Volleyball Republic (BVR) On Tour anew in men’s championship match that saw the mentor playing his students in the picturesque Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island.
Cebuano Jade Becaldo and Calvin Sarte of Davao conquered the sands at the expense of the team Becaldo is coaching, the University of Visayas (UV) Green Lancers, 2110, 21-15, on the windy beaches of Beach Placid Resort yesterday.
After the game, Becaldo was beaming with pride not just because of his victory but because his players Kevin Juban and Raphy Abando made it to the finals with him even of they were going against him.
“I’m proud of them because they made it to the finals. This is the first for BVR that a coach and students played in the finals,” said Becaldo, who guided the Green Lancers to the Cebu School Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) beach volleyball title in December last year.
The 27-year-old Becaldo and Sarte showed fluid teamwork at the sands en route to an easy two straight sets victory and the P40,000 championship cash prize.
“We are familiar now with our lapses. It’s our second time to play together. It’s great that it all worked out since we did not have a practice together until this tournament,” said the 23-year-old Sarte, who was named the BVR Cebu-Leg men’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Juban and Abanto were all praises of their mentor on how he made things look easy despite the strong winds.
“They (Ato Ni Bai) made it look easy even with the strong winds. Our coach (Becaldo) was all focused and amo nakita iya gi execute tanan mga instructions and techniques na iya usually i-share namo,” said 23-year-old Abanto.
Juban, 20, said that they’ve been under the tutelage of Becaldo for two years, and been learning a lot from the player known as “The Legend” in beach volleyball scene.
Becaldo got what he wanted— both the title and the rare match against his own athletes in the championship. “Our goal is to make it to the finals together with my students,” Becaldo told SunStar Cebu after the elimination round the other day.
In the women’s division MVP Erjane Magdato and partner Alexa Polidario of University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (Uno-R1) beat Wakanda’s Dzi Gervacio and Kassie Gormley, 21-10, 21-13, in the women’s championship match. (RSC)