The Sports Nook: Recent Episodes
The Sports Nook PH
Ysa Chong and Mike Valera open their little nook to put the spotlight on exceptional, multi-awarded Filipino athletes and raise awareness for different sports in the country. A show for the casual sports fan, guest athletes explain their sport in laymen's terms and talk about their journeys to representing the Philippines internationally.
Record-breaking PH obstacle course racing team member and national climbing team member Chelle Suarez takes us through the basics of OCR and tells us more about how the sport started nationally and what it's progress has been since the national team's debut at the 30th Southeast Asian Games, shares the story of her quick rise from climbing as a weekend activity to finding herself in a qualifying event for the national team and eventually competing for the Philippines, as well as her thoughts about her role as a female athlete in a male-dominated sport, how she balances national team duties and her full-time job in real estate, and the support the team has been getting locally.
Philippine national beach handball team member and former UP men's basketball team captain, Andrew Harris, helps us break down the new sport of beach handball (which has one or more similarities to other sports such as futsal, hockey, basketball, etc.), recounts his journey from New Jersey to the Philippines - how he went from pursuing an education to leading the UP Fighting Maroons in the UAAP as team captain, playing in the D-League, finding handball and representing the Philippines - and opens up about his transition from one sport to the other, balancing basketball and handball responsibilities, and his hopes for developing not only beach handball but also athletics in the Philippines.
Professional Hearthstone player and caster and the lone female member of Sibol, Jia Dee, answers some FAQs about esports, debunks common myth-conceptions and enlightens us on the required skill set for pro gamers, the challenges of making it big as a pro gamer, etc. She shares her journey and experience representing the Philippines, her insights on the growth and development of esports and its legitimacy as a sport and its future; and being the lone female player of Team Sibol, discusses the gender issue in esports, and the difficulties and rise of female gamers.
10-year national team member and 2-time Olympian, Jessie Lacuna, helps us cover the basics of competitive swimming, tells us about his journey from his humble beginnings in Pulilan, Bulacan to qualifying qualifying for the most prestigious sporting event in the world, clarifies his reported 'retirement' after the 2019 SEA Games, and shares his insights on Philippine aquatics, his thoughts on our new generation of PH swimmers, and his hopes for the future of the sport.
Compound Archery Superstar and 2019 Indoor Archery World Series gold medalist, Andrea Robles, guides us through the basics of Archery, walks us through her journey from spontaneously trying out Archery one day and then representing the country just a few years later, and opens up about the pressure and bliss of being a young member of the Philippine Archery Team, alongside Olympians, and facing off against internationally-renowned names in the sport.
Professional downhill skateboarder and 2019 SEA Games gold medalist Jaime de Lange gives us the rundown on professional skateboarding and downhill skateboarding, and shares the stories behind his grind to representing the country internationally, the pride of the Philippines that is our national skateboarding team, and how being coached by internationally-renowned athletes and getting national support contributed to them landing on the podium for the naysh.
Professional wushu artist and two-time 2019 SEA Games gold medalist Agatha Wong helps us understand the fundamentals of wushu and shares with us her journey to becoming an empowered woman, handling a sudden surge of popularity, getting over nerves during competitions and staying graceful under pressure, and correcting preconceived notions about her sport.
Professional pole vaulter and Tokyo Olympic qualifier, EJ Obiena, teaches us the basics of pole vaulting and tells us about his humble beginnings, training with decorated Olympians and the legendary coach to the Pole Vault Greats, his journey to representing the Philippines in the upcoming 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and everything he's learned along the way.