The Flight of the Homelessby rick olivares
As the Philippine Airlines flight to Melbourne taxied out of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 9am of the 1st of December, Rondolf Longgakit felt a wave excitement envelop his young and thin frame. As the plane was airbound, he felt his stomach rush to his throat. This is what it must be like to ride a roller coaster, he thought to himself.
He snickered. He’s never ridden on a rollercoaster before but he had certainly seen it on television.
It was his first time on a plane let alone abroad. I’ve never even been anywhere, he smiled. As the plane shot up higher into the sky, he craned his neck to look outside the windows and see how everything has suddenly become small.
Soon the plane was level with the clouds and he couldn’t see anything except the blue ocean. He leaned back suddenly nervous. He had never used a seatbelt before and he tugged at it to make sure it was snug. My lifeline, he thought to himself. He partially wished for being back on good old terra firma.
There they were seven strong – the Philippine Homeless World Cup Team. Just like life on the streets where you’re never sure of what’s going to happen day-to-day, they were flying into something new and uncertain.
Once the adrenaline had died down, Longgakit slept for two hours. He hardly got any shuteye the night before in gleeful anticipation. After long months of training for what had seemed an unimaginable goal – if two years ago you told him that he was going to represent the Philippines in an international football competition he’d ask you if you were sniffing any glue – it was now a reality.
Well, it was as soon as he put on the kit with “Team Philippines” emblazoned on both sides. This is what his teammates and himself had all been working for.
When the plane touched down in Melbourne International Airport, Rondolf and his six other teammates though tired from the long flight remained wide-eyed.
They had been so used to seeing the hardcore streets of Manila that the general cleanliness of Melbourne looked so picture perfect. Sure maybe there was a seedy side to all this, but when on a daily basis you’re used to fishball carts, tricycles and jeeps that clog the side streets, and the seemingly never-ending mass of humanity going to and fro without a care for his hunger pangs, this was definitely an eye opener.
Along with Cambodia, the Philippines was the youngest team in the tournament. Although they were the smallest in terms of height, the size of their fighting heart was something else.
During the Cultural Festival where every participating country prepared an indigenous song and dance number, the team held its own and performed a lively version of Willy Revillame’s “Boom Tarat Tarat.”
On the small pitch, they looked scrawny and unskilled. It was a first impression that they all noticed and hoped to rectify once the games began.
In their first few matches, Team Philippines always scored the opening goal. But their inexperience showed as their taller opponents eventually overpowered and beat them using their height and heft.
The Philippine Homeless World Cup Team lost its first seven matches by an aggregate score of 55-14 and the team’s coaches and supporters wondered if the continuous blowouts would have a negative effect on the team members.
Head Coach Marlon Maro constantly reminded them of the story of David and Goliath while Assistant Coach Jess Landagan preached patience, focus, and to ultimately be aggressive.
Team Philippines responded with a resounding first win over Sweden 13-3 and Rondolf Longgakit broke down their performance in very simple terms. “Walang kanin yung pagkain namin,” he smiled. “Puro pasta, manok, tinapay. Syempre masarap pero na-miss namin yung pagkaing Pilipino.”
As much as Longgakit and his teammates were enjoying their experience, every one of their senses was on overload. They had not slept on a bed that felt so good… soft pillows and all. The trade off was the cold as they had to put on almost every bit of clothing they brought with them.
And in a seemingly ideal experience, they were reminded how some would try to get ahead at their expense. In a match against the only two-time Homeless World Cup winner Italy, their coaching staff attempted to field a player who suited up in last year’s competition. The Homeless World Cup rules state once a person has participated in a tournament, they may no longer play again. Disqualified from participation, the Italians not only made the Philippines pay with an 11-1 demolition, but when Russel Jacinto, one of the two girls on the RP squad went in for the first time, she was felled with an elbow that some felt wasn’t exactly wayward.
But only instead of folding, Team Philippines played harder and won 4 of their 13 matches. In their debut in the Homeless World Cup, ranked #44 out of 48 countries, they made a good account of themselves. In their final matches of the tournament, they repaid their early tormentors India with a 7-6 win off penalty kicks and stopped Namibia 5-3.
When the Philippine Airlines plane bound for Manila took off at 9pm on the 8th of December, Rondolf Longgakit felt a mixture of excitement and sadness envelop his young and thin frame. He was going home with the gift of a memory of a lifetime. He had found his worth while playing football in Australia. But there was a whole slew of questions awaiting them in Manila. He was sure of one thing though and that was how much he wanted to finish his education because he wanted to better his life.
When asked what’s next, he simply replied, “Kakain muna ako ng Pinoy food. Nakaka-miss na yung may kanin.”
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