Chieffy to Palaro athletes: Don’t give up

MANILA, Philippines – When the Philippine Azkals needed spectacular plays and game-winning goals, he was the man who always came through for the country.

Meet Emelio “Chieffy” Caligdong, the talismanic winger and co-captain of the Philippine national football team we more endearingly know as the Azkals.

With the team’s miracle run in the 2010 Suzuki Cup by beating then-defending champions Vietnam and reaching the semifinals for the very first time, the effect of the historic feat was more than just a pretty highlight on the mostly downtrodden record of the national team.

The historic campaign became the spark that ignited the reawakening of Philippine football. Not only did it send a message to the region that the country is no longer the “whipping boys” of Southeast Asia, but it also rekindled a nation’s passion to a sport tucked away in the shadows of history

The heart of the revolution

And at the heart of this revolution? A man who hails from Barotac Nuevo, the football capital of the Philippines.

Emelio Caligdong, popularly known as “Chieffy”, is probably the most recognizable face in Philippine football aside from the Younghusband brothers.

Who will forget Chieffy’s late-game heroics in the game against Vietnam in the 2012 Suzuki Cup when he fired past the Azkals’ winning goal from an Angel Guirado cross?

Not only did it give the us our first win in the group stages, it established the fact that the miracle run in Hanoi in 2010 was not a fluke. It was real.

What about the stunning goal he scored when the Philippines defeated Mongolia, 2-0, in Panaad Stadium in Bacolod for the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifier in 2011?

For a fan whose love for football started with the rise of the Azkals, the goal was an artwork in itself. Chieffy controlling the ball and bouncing it with his left foot, evading the Mongolian defender. The bounce of the ball was perfect for a strike from his right foot. The ball went through the Mongolian goalkeeper’s legs and hit the net.

Then it was pandemonium. 

The crowd in Panaad cheered and shouted as if the Philippines has long been a football crazy country. It was both a proud and thrilling moment, as if the country has finally woken up from its deep slumber from the most popular sport in the world.

Humble beginnings

A formidable national team star and professional footballer for the first division side Green Archers United FC, Chieffy has become instrumental in the development of football in the country, scoring goals and winning matches for the Philippines even when the sport was ignored by the general public in the past.

But like any other superstar athlete, Chieffy came from humble beginnings where starring in the national team and shining in the international stage were once part of his dreams.

Emelio Asada Caligdong was born on September 28, 1982 in Pototan, Iloilo from a family of footballers. All of his brothers and his father likes to kick balls in their freetime than shoot them in hoops.

He started playing football at the tender age of 5.

It was the environment Chieffy grew up in. It was fitting since the place was long considered the “football capital of the Philippines.” It was the place where one of the “renaissance” men in Philippine football will come from.

His first test as a footballer, however, was not in the manicured fields of Rizal Memorial Stadium and other world-class fields when representing the country, but in the muddy or stone-dry pitches where the annual Palarong Pambansa is held in different parts of the country.

Training ground

Asked about his beginnings in playing football, he mentioned that one of the most instrumental training grounds he participated in is the Palarong Pambansa.

“I started participating in the Palarong Pambansa in grade school. I joined the annual meet twice, one in fifth grade when I was 11 years old and in junior year of high school when I was around 14,” Chieffy said in an interview with Rappler.

True to the name of the place, Iloilo, the province Chieffy represented, dominated the football tournament of the Palarong Pambansa.

Iloilo were champions various times of the football category of the nationwide tournament for grade school and high school tournaments.

It paved the way for the successes that Caligdong will reap later on his footballing career.

‘Palarong Pambansa is more than a competition’

With renewed interest in reviving the sports programs in the country after several lackluster performances in recent international sporting events, the Palarong Pambansa is more than a competition according to Chieffy.

Chieffy recounted that it was in his participation in the Palarong Pambansa when he was still young that football coaches started noticing his talent.

“What’s good with participating in the Palaro is the possibility of being scouted by coaches. National team representatives and scouts from different institutions like universities will be there to take notice. You will be encouraged to work harder and perform better,” he said.

He said that the annual nationwide sports competition is perfect example of a youth development program for sports which will eventually form the pool of the country’s national teams for different sports.

It was the case in his career as a footballer. National football coaches were able to witness his footballing prowess and invited him to the national team.

He, however, dismissed that being in the national team requires a lot of adjustment especially coming from the province. 

It also requires a lot of sacrifice and challenges but the honor of representing the country makes everything worth it.

Palaro gathers the best

The Palaro, according to him, gathers all the best young talents in the country to compete with each other in camaraderie and elevate the level of sports development in the Philippines.

Sports development for the youth is an important pillar for the future of the country.

“Sports teaches young athletes discipline and commitment, values that are not applicable to their respective sports alone. They become habits that can inspire the nation,” he said.

Asked about his message to the young athletes that will compete in this year’s Palarong Pambansa in April in Dumaguete, he only has encouraging words to say.

“Always push and challenge yourself everydy. Don’t give up. The best coaches will be there to scout all of you to give you opportunities to play in a bigger stage,” he said.

But everything still boils down to hardwork and dedication.

“Everyone has a chance to get accepted in the country’s national youth sports program, but it will never be easy. There’s a lot of competition. Do not compare yourself to others, just do your best and people will notice,” he added. – Rappler.com