A Teng wins, another loses
Several years ago PBA veteran Alvin Teng and wife Susan were so preoccupied with their thriving hardware business, they didn’t have time to watch their two young boys, Jeric and Jeron, play basketball for Xavier School where they studied in the grade and high school levels.
This went on for sometime until somebody told them that they are the only parents who didn’t come to watch their boys play.
“Until somebody told us that, we did not realize that we had been taking our boys’ basketball for granted. It might have also appeared that we were unsupportive of the boys’ extra-curricular activities. But, really, we’re not,” said Alvin.
After their attention was called, the Tengs took stock of their priorities and adjusted their schedules. They calendared the dates of their boys’ games and made sure they were free to watch them.
Now the situation has been reversed. You’ll hardly ever find Alvin or Susan in their huge hardware store in Blumentritt. They’ve hired a relative to oversee their business. All their time is spent watching their sons’ basketball games and lately, appearing on television with the two who are fast metamorphosing into superstars.
(The two are now in the limelight as rivals in the current UAAP championship series. Jeric plays for University of Santo Tomas while Jeron is with La Salle.—Ed)
Alvin said he never thought Jeric would be able to make a successful comeback after a serious shoulder injury in July where they had to resort to stem cell therapy to rehabilitate a ripped ligament.
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According to Alvin, not both boys were born with the same passion for the sport their father loved and excelled at.
Between his two sons, Alvin said the older Jeric seems to have been born with a basketball in his hands.
“Jeric loved the sport right from the start when he was a very young boy,” said Alvin.
Jeron, on the other hand, was more inclined towards wrestling. He wasn’t that interested in basketball at first.
“But Jeric and I must have exerted tremendous influence on Jeron. Personally, I devoted time teaching him basketball, until he learned to love it,” Alvin related.
The younger Jeron has so developed his skills and talent in the sport that some cage experts say he now has more basketball savvy than his Kuya Jeric.
“Nagmana sa akin ng katawan si Jeron (Jeron took after my built), si Jeric naman, katawan pang-shooter (Jeric, on the other hand, has the built of a shooter).
On television, Jeric sounded like he was joking when he said that Jeron was his father’s favorite.
“His full name is Jeron Alvin, I am Jeric Allan. He’s the favorite,” Jeric said.
Incidentally, the boys’ oldest sister Alyssa Diane also played basketball in the Ateneo intramurals.
“She’s the best foul shooter among my children, beating my two sons,” Alvin said.
Hours before yesterday’s Game 1 of the best of three UAAP championship series between La Salle and UST, Alvin admitted he was feeling some jitters. “Because one of my sons will lose, and already I’m feeling sorry for whoever it will be. Both of them want so much to win,” he said.
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