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MANILA, Philippines — For someone like Philip Joper Escueta, the reigning UAAP men’s badminton Most Valuable Player, he would not be the same Joper Escueta we see today if not for the exposure he gained while playing in the Palarong Pambansa.
The competition was tough. The road to glory was seemingly endless.
The Palarong Pambansa became his playground — a playground of sweet victories and painful defeats alike.
Starting early, winning early
The 19-year-old shuttler out of National University, who steered the Bulldogs to its first-ever badminton title last September 2012 at the expense of Ateneo De Manila University, is a battle-grizzled veteran of the Palaro.
Escueta fell in love with badminton when he was in Grade 5 and a year after, he was already plying his trade in the Palarong Pambansa.
“Since Grade 6 eh nag-Palaro na ako. I was from Region 4-A, and sobrang hirap manalo kasi galing sa iba’t ibang parte ng Pilipinas ang mga kalaban,” said Escueta.
Except for a one-year hiatus when he was in his first year high school, Escueta competed in every Palarong Pambansa edition from second to fourth years in high school, showing people the makings of a future national team player and UAAP badminton superstar.
And most of the time, Escueta, a mainstay of the Philippine team, was winning one medal after another for Southern Tagalog.
“I always win, especially in the team event, we were champions in the team event for three years,” added the Information Technology student.
Even the best fall down sometimes
Escueta, however, did experience suffering a stinging defeat in his celebrated stint in the annual event that gathers the best student-athletes nationwide to be held this year in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental from April 21-27.
After all, he was just one win away from taking home the ultimate prize that Palaro athletes have for so long fought for. But that defeat only made him a better athlete, eventually, regaining his old, deadly form that was lost in the complexity of his finals’ setback.
“One time I lost in the finals of the individual event when I was in my third year,” recalls the Pila, Laguna native.
“Nakatulong ‘yun kasi mas lalo ko pang pinaghandaan ‘yung next year since it was also my last year in Palaro,” shared Escueta, who, along with Peter Magnaye, donned the national colors by participating in the 2012 Japan Super Series.
Indeed, his stellar career in the Palarong Pambansa caught the eyes of NU men’s badminton head coach Jojo Mance , who eventually brought Escueta to Manila, where he would go on to become one of the best shuttlers in the country.
“Coach Jojo Mance offered me to play for NU, Siya nag-recruit sa akin.”
The Palarong Pambansa difference
Escueta’s storybook Palarong Pambansa journey might be, suffice to say, just a thing in the past right now, but as he looks back, he will be reminded well by the lessons he learned from his Palaro heydays that was instrumental to his current stature as arguably the Philippines’ best badminton player right now.
“Kahit na nag-champion na, dapat you train hard pa rin. Nakatulong ang Palaro sa akin para mas maging matured and better sa paglalaro,” quipped the Colegio Monterei de Pila alumnus.
“Sobrang saya and it’s memorable, hindi mo makakalimutan (Palaro) and mami-miss mo maglaro sa Palaro.”
A bright future lies ahead
With still two playing years left for NU in the UAAP, Escueta humbly seizes every opportunity given to him, be it playing for the Bulldogs or for flag and country to continue playing the sport he really loves.
Indeed, Palarong Pambansa is the breeding ground for the future of Philippine sports.
Where tomorrow begins. Just look at Philip Jopher Escueta. – Rappler.com
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