With the way he laughs, you can sense that Agapito “Terry” Capistrano is a happy man.
And why not, the past year had been good to him as the jewels on his crown — the De La Salle University men’s basketball team and the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association — delivered glorious performances in their respective fields.
The La Salle victory was truly a Cinderella story.
The Green Archers started slow, losing three games of their first seven matches before catching fire and marching to the Final Four of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines as the second seed.
Against a powerhouse and well-funded University of the Philippines squad, the Green Archers were massacred by 30 points in Game 1 of their best-of-three finals series. It was the largest victory ever posted in a finals game since 1998, something that could have crushed the ego and the morale of the Green Archers.
Still, La Salle refused to quit.
The Green Archers staged a players-only meeting to pull off a lopsided 22-point victory in Game 2 to regain the momentum entering the sudden-death Game 3.
With the crown on the line, Kevin Quiambao delivered, lifting La Salle to its 10th men’s basketball title.
The national tracksters have pretty much the same story.
Their poster boy — Ernest John Obiena — left his controversial dispute with the federation behind to emerge as the second-best pole vaulter in the world with record-breaking victories in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games and 19th Asian Games.
He is now part of the ultra-exclusive six-meter club and could land on the Olympic podium after becoming the first Filipino to punch a ticket to the Summer Games.
Looking back, Capistrano couldn’t help but laugh over the things he and his sponsored teams went through to reach the summit of athletic success.
“I’ll be lying to you if I say that I was confident that we can still turn it around,” a laughing Capistrano said, recalling the tumultuous turn of events following their Game 1 devastation in the finals of UAAP Season 86 last month.
“Kinabahan din ako dun ha. I’m not too optimistic. Of course, I tell people na ‘o kaya namin yan, kaya yan.’ Sino ba naman ang boxer ang pupunta sa ring para sabihin na matatalo tayo. Syempre, we have to say ‘bull***t’ things and tell people na ‘kaya natin ito, kaya natin ito.’ But deep down, oh my God… I told my wife: Matulog na tayo. Tagilid!”
But the scary moment allowed Capistrano to assert the brand of leadership that made him one of the successful managers in the school’s athletic program that led to his enshrinement in the De La Salle Alumni Association Hall of Fame in 2009.
“I told the coach (Topex Robinson) that ‘you know what, it’s on you now. I can’t do anything for you. Hindi na kita matutulungan dito,’” Capistrano said moments before playing a round of golf with DAILY TRIBUNE at the Sta. Elena Golf and Country Club recently.
“Ang suggestion ko lang, let the players talk among themselves. Out na tayo lahat dyan. Wala na ang team managers, wala na ang coaches, wala na lahat. Wala na tayo magagawa dyan. Sila na ang bahala mag usap-usap tungkol dyan.”
Sweetest titles
Donning a white cap, dotted dri-fit shirt, white pants and white shoes with green swoosh to signify his loyalty to his alma mater, Capistrano started managing La Salle in 2000.
At that time, the La Salle basketball program was at its peak as it was still fresh from clinching the UAAP crown off a miraculous shot by Dino Aldeguer that led to their 78-75 overtime win over University of Santo Tomas in Game 3 of their Season 62 best-of-three finals showdown.
Capistrano took over a star-studded team that had Renren Ritualo, Mike Cortez, Willy Wilson, Adonis Sta. Maria and Mac Cardona with Franz Pumaren as head coach.
“Actually, 1999 ako nag-take over. Patapos na ang season nun. Paalis na si Don (Allado),” said Capistrano, who replaced Johnny Valdez as La Salle manager.
He said it was former La Salle president Bro. Rolly Dizon who offered him the position.
“It was an easy decision,” Capistrano added.
“It was easy because previous to that, I was the captain of the athletics team of La Salle. Champion yun ha. I also played rugby before. Then, I eventually managed the athletics and swimming teams as well as the women’s basketball team together with the men’s basketball team.”
In his 23 years at the helm, Capistrano guided the Green Archers to seven titles with 10 trips to the finals and 18 Final Four appearances.
“But to me, the Final Four, wala yun,” he said, smiling.
“Making it to the Final Four means that you’re on top four in the eight-team field. That’s 50 percent. I’d rather not get into the Final Four if you can’t make it to the finals.”
Capistrano stressed that two titles warmed his heart.
“This got to be the top two,” Capistrano said when asked about the sweetest among his seven UAAP crowns as team manager of the Green Archers.
“Yung 2007, almost equal yun. We just came from a suspension. We were suspended in 2006 due to the (Mark) Benitez (issue). So I rate (the) 2007 (title) and this one as the top two for me.”
“We were suspended in 2006 then when we came back, we won the championship. The suspension was so painful. Bawal kami kahit saan. Pati high school (teams) namin Zobel, Greenhills, bawal. Wala kaming nakuhang players. Nobody wanted to join us because we were suspended.”
“Nung suspended kami, we couldn’t go to any official tournament sanctioned by the UAAP. Pati mga barangay (leagues) sinalihan namin para lang makalaro. That’s why the 2007 title was one of the best.”
Still, nothing beats the sweetness of their recent conquest as they downed three high-profile squads in bitter rival Ateneo de Manila University, National University and UP in four of their last five matches of the season with a young and untested coach in Robinson and a flamboyant sophomore in Quiambao at the helm.
“This is got to be one of the best,” he said.
“Kasi trinabaho talaga ito eh. Prior to this, pitong taon kaming walang korona. Ni hindi nga kami makapasok sa Final Four, ganun sya kahirap. Hindi namin alam ang gagawin dito. Nothing was working. Nothing.”
Capistrano said he knew everything would be under control when they won Game 2 by 22 points, 82-60.
“Galit na galit ako nun. I told them, bakit 22 lang? Kulang pa tayo ng ocho. Tinalo nila tayo ng trenta, tinalo lang natin ng bente dos. So kulang pa ng ocho. Balikan nyo sa third game. May utang kayo na eight points,” Capistrano said in jest.
“But you know, before the Final Four, I already talked to Topex. I told him that ‘when things go bad, you will get it in the neck. Tatamaan ka dito. Expect that.’”
“I added that ‘you know, the reason why you’re there is because I know you’re brave enough to handle this. Pag nanalo, ikaw ang bida. Pag natalo, ikaw ang sisihin. So, choose your poison.”
Chief decision-maker
At La Salle, Capistrano has the strongest voice in the decision-making being the team manager together with businessman Raffy Villavicencio and lawyer Manases Carpio, the husband of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Although one of their principals is industrialist Enrique Razon, most of the key decisions were being made by the three-man management team with Capistrano as spearhead as other sponsors also do not have a direct say in running the team.
“Just like other schools, we also have a group of sponsors. But here at La Salle, I’m the one who makes key decisions. It’s either me or none at all,” Capistrano said, explaining the leadership structure of the La Salle management group.
“We can’t do this if everybody wants to run the team. Mahihirapan tayo dito. Lahat kayo ang yayaman nyo eh. So somebody has to be on top and run the team in an organized manner.”
“But you know, sometimes, it’s quite difficult because everybody feels that they have a voice. Everybody wants to make decisions. Kapag ganyan, patawa-tawa na lang ako. For as long as we’re winning, okay lang sa akin.”
Although Capistrano already spent quite a fortune for the La Salle program in his long stint as team manager through his TMS Ship Agencies Inc. and CEL Logistics, he recognizes the strong support of other sponsors, especially Razon, the chairman and chief executive officer of International Container Terminal Services Inc.
“He serves as an inspiration to the team,” he said, narrating a story that fired up the Green Archers.
“Before the start of the season, nag-imbita sya. It was a rare invitation. He delivered a speech before the whole team, saying that ‘you know guys, at this point, you’re nothing but tall men in green shirts who eat a lot.’ Napatigil sa pagkain ang lahat. But that’s how he is. After that, they were all challenged and ready to win.”
Capistrano added that Razon invited them again shortly after they won the title.
“So tapos na ang season, he invited us again. Very rare ulit yan. When we were eating, some players told him ‘boss, killer na kami ngayon ha. Kasi sinabi mo sa amin na maging killer eh.’ Ricky said ‘hindi pwede na basta killer lang. Now, that you’re already killers, I want you to become serial killers.’ Everybody laughed. Walang katapusan yan. He really loves challenging the team.”
Olympic gold medal
Still, for all the glory he had in the UAAP, there is one piece of hardware Capistrano, also the president of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, wants to win before strolling into the sunset: An Olympic gold medal.
The last time a Filipino trackster won an Olympic medal was in 1936 when Filipino-American Miguel White clinched a bronze in the men’s 400-meter run of the Berlin Olympics.
White, however, didn’t get the chance to eventually win an Olympic gold medal as World War II halted the staging of the quadrennial meet in 1940. He passed away two years later due to military action during the Japanese invasion of Manila.
Before White, Simeon Toribio handed the Filipinos their first Olympic medal in athletics when he bagged the bronze in the men’s high jump event of the Los Angeles Games in 1932.
Capistrano said he is hoping and praying for a breakthrough in the coming Paris Olympics.
“Ang gusto ko lang sa buhay bago ako mamatay ay makakita ng isang Olympic medal sa track and field,” he said, his face turning serious.
“Yes, before I leave the planet, I want to win an Olympic medal. But it has to be gold eh. Hindi naman sa useless ang silver or bronze, but you know, an Olympic gold medal is very important.”
Capistrano was referring to Obiena.
The 28-year-old Obiena is in a perfect position to end the Filipinos’ long medal drought after emerging as the second-best pole vaulter in the world behind Swedish superstar Armand Duplantis.
Obiena had a banner year after breaking new records in the SEA Games and Asian Games while joining the prestigious six-meter club when he clinched the gold medal in the Bergen Jump Challenge in Norway in June.
Obiena is only the 28th athlete to breach the six-meter mark since Sergey Bubka, who also trained under the watchful eyes of his coach in Vitaly Petrov, did the trick in 1985.
Capistrano, however, asserted that if Obiena wins in Paris, he could win again when the Olympics move to Los Angeles in 1932.
“He is now in his prime at 28,” said Capistrano, who has been taking good care of Obiena since he assumed the Patafa presidency from Philip Ella Juico in July last year.
In fact, during the Tokyo Olympics, Capistrano spent his own resources just to make sure that Obiena’s poles will be safely transported amid the challenges brought by the Covid pandemic. He also took care of national team members Ralph Soguilon and Sheena Atillano during their UAAP days nearly a decade ago.
“If he wins in Paris, he can do it again in the next Olympics. I think he is good for one more Olympics — even until he is already 33 years old.”
Capistrano failed to finish the round and called it quits after the 12th hole.
He said instead of worrying about our putts and counting our birdies and bogeys, we should just eat, drink and raise our glasses for the success of the year that passed.
Life is good for Capistrano. He has all the reasons to laugh.