Metta to visit Manila?

Three years ago, a Filipino promotions outfit nearly brought Metta World Peace, then known as Ron Artest, to Manila for a one-week tour but the project never got off the ground despite the Los Angeles Lakers forward’s interest in visiting his half-Filipino son Jeron’s relatives here.

I even spoke to MWP on the phone and he confirmed the plan to meet Jeron’s uncle James Uy Palma, a music producer who owns a recording studio in Mandaluyong. MWP was married to Kimsha Hatfield for six years and they divorced in 2009 with three children Sadie, now 16, Ron III, 14 and Diamond, 10.  Jeron, 13, was born in New York City and his Filipina mother Jennifer Uy Palma was MWP’s high school classmate. A bachelor once again, MWP is often seen in paparazzi websites with his girlfriend known as Shin Shin whose real name is Gao Xinxin.

MWP is quite proud of Jeron who lives in Los Angeles and likes to play basketball. In family events, MWP brings his entire brood, including Jeron. MWP has lots of Filipino friends in Los Angeles and is shown on YouTube singing karaoke in a Filipino home. When he visits Filipino friends, MWP often asks for adobo and halo-halo. So it’s not surprising that MWP is eager to visit here.

Keith Gray, an American sports agent who brought retired NBA sharpshooter Craig Hodges to Manila for clinics last year, said MWP is tentatively booked to tour China on July 8-12 and a trip to Manila 26-24. NU sports director Junel Baculi said it was a test of character. “We told the girls to stay focused even if we were being jeered by a partisan crowd,” said Baculi. “They believed and trusted each other. That, for me, is character. They made the NU community proud.”

For Mabbayad who never played for NU, the victory was special. “I’m just the interim coach and I wanted to prove myself,” he said. “For me, this is work. Now that I’m with the NU community, I dedicate this win to the school. Credit to our players because they made it happen.”

Mabbayad said since he was introduced to volleyball in Grade 6, he has been hooked to the game. “I didn’t play my first two years at Laguna State Polytechnic University high school then I joined the varsity in my third and fourth years under coaches Carlito Ramos, Dominador Calabya and Benny Juatalla,” he said. “I learned a lot from coach Pascua when I played at FEU. After FEU, I played three years with the Philippine Army as an enlisted soldier-athlete. I was lucky to play for the national team in an invitational tournament in Vietnam and at the Asian Seniors in Manila against powerhouse countries like Japan and South Korea. Last year, I was coach Francis Vicente’s assistant at NU. When coach Francis declined an offer to extend his contract, I was designated the interim coach.”

Mabbayad said the women’s game is the attraction of volleyball. “It’s more exciting than men’s volleyball because the rallies are longer, the points are harder to score and of course, it’s nicer to watch women than men,” he said. “When I played, the matches weren’t televised and there wasn’t much media hype. Now, the fans are really into the Shakey’s V-League.”

Mabbayad said coaching women is just as challenging as coaching men. “With women, you have to be more patient and sensitive,” he said. “I remind the girls not to make their boyfriends a distraction but an inspiration. My personal approach is I’m not too strict, I give my players the chance to discipline themselves. I don’t know if women players are more emotional than men. I think you’re challenged to coach your best either way.”

As for his coaching philosophy, Mabbayad said he’s more defense than offense-oriented. “I want my team to be aggressive in defense, in blocking at the net,” he said. “In offense, my focus is on receiving because our reception will determine how we are able to attack. When we call for twice-a-day practice especially when a tournament is approaching, the morning session is for conditioning exercises and the afternoon session is ball work.”

In the Shakey’s V-League, Mabbayad picked 17-year-old high schooler Jaja Santiago and 30-year-old setter Rubie de Leon as NU’s guest players. Ateneo’s imports were Rachel Anne Daquis and Thai Jeng Bualee who replaced original guest player Aeriel Patnongon before the semifinals. “We needed an experienced setter so we got Rubie, a former Air Force player who led UST to the Shakey’s V-League title in 2009,” he said. “Rubie is perfect for setting up our spikers. Then, we got Jaja who’s 6-4 and the sister of our player Dindin who’s 6-2. Jaja and Dindin are both skilled players with slightly different styles. Dindin has experience on her side while we wanted to give Jaja this exposure in the V-League to prepare her for entering the seniors division in the UAAP. The sisters are both tall but I don’t think they play basketball as they’re committed to volleyball.”

Mabbayad said it’s an honor that he is now part of NU history as this was the Lady Bulldogs’ first Shakey’s V-League title since the competition started in 2004. The highest NU finish in 17 previous V-League conferences was fourth in the first conference of the eighth season in 2011. “I’m very proud of this championship,” said Mabbayad whose wife Eugenie Jaminola, a former volleyball player with Letran and San Lorenzo College of Quezon City, watched from the stands teary-eyed as the Lady Bulldogs closed out the Finals. “My wife knows how hard I worked for this and is very happy for me.” Eugenie’s father Generoso is with the Ginebra San Miguel staff in the PBA. The Mabbayads are blessed with four children Jazmin, 10, Ashley, 8, Nathan, 5 and Jethro, 3.