Dabawenya Mary Grace Necesario Berte, better known as Shang, still has trouble believing she’s wearing a Philippine jersey at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
“To represent the country, to wear a jersey with the Philippine flag and my own surname on it, feels absolutely surreal,” she told SunStar Davao in an interview. “Imagination ko ra man ni sauna oy. Di ko katuo mahitabo diay (This was something I only imagined before. I never thought it would actually happen). I can’t even put into words how I feel knowing I’m stepping onto the court not just for myself, but for the whole Philippines.”
Berte, who is competing in her first SEA Games, only started training for indoor handball in June this year. She shifted to the sport after a former volleyball teammate invited her to try it out. “Gitry ra pud nako, ma’am (I just tried it),” she said with a laugh.
The transition was quick but demanding. As the team’s goalkeeper, Berte said she put in long hours studying the game. “Gahatag jud ko ug time, ma’am, studyhan ang game — know the rules, how it’s played. Actually, ang handball combination ra sa volleyball, football, and basketball (I really put in the time, ma’am, to study the game — to learn the rules and how it’s played. Handball is actually a combination of volleyball, football, and basketball),” she said.
Preparing for the SEA Games came with its own challenges. The Philippine women’s handball team trains six times a week despite not having a standard-size court and dealing with unpredictable weather. Still, the team pushed through.
“We see to it na ready mi individually and as a team to compete in this SEA Games. We also mentally prepared ourselves na kahit kulang sa experience ang team, mulaban gyud mi, and give our best effort for the Philippines (We made sure we were ready both individually and as a team for the SEA Games. And even though we lack experience, we prepared ourselves mentally to fight hard and give our best for the Philippines),” Berte said.
As competition begins, Berte admits she can’t help but dream big. “Mag-start na kog imagine na mag-podium finish (unta) mi. Hahaha, who knows? Bilog ang bola,” she said, smiling.
For Berte, stepping onto the SEA Games court is already a victory, one she hopes will inspire others who once thought their dreams were impossible. MLSA