INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines?When the Philippine team returned from the first annual Street Child World Cup (SCWC) in Durban, South Africa, last week with the winners? cup in hand, they had more than just a victory in international football to celebrate.

Capturing the Street Child World Shield cup?after beating South Africa (2-1) in the finals?and having the distinction of being the first Filipino team to defeat Brazil (6-2) in an international indoor football tournament were certainly reasons for the Philippines to be very proud.

But for the members of the team, dubbed the ?Philippine Miracles,? the smiles on their faces came from what they experienced during their journey from underdogs to champions.

They learned that with determination, hard work and unity, anything was possible.

Against the teams from South Africa, Brazil, India, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Nicaragua, the Filipinos were not only much shorter and smaller than most of their rivals?they also came from a country that was 169th in the FIFA (international football federation) world rankings.

?We are a football team from a basketball country that was participating in an international indoor football tournament made up of teams from football countries ... But when you believe so much in a project, and you pray, you know that miracles can happen,? said Ed Formoso, one of the team organizers.

Perceptions that the Filipinos would be the least likely to win the cup changed soon after they began passing the ball.

?It was the skill and grace (with which) they played against taller opposition that started to get them noticed, then the discipline and the lovely Filipino smiles they wore the whole time,? said Craig Burrows, one of the team organizers.

Undaunted by defeats

Their first games were against two powerhouses, the United Kingdom and Tanzania. Although they lost both matches (4-2 and 2-0), they won over many fans from all sides with their professionalism and friendliness.

The losses could have also demoralized a lesser team, but the former Filipino street children (aged 14-16) held themselves together.

?The secret is unity. We always show one another that we are one no matter what happens,? team captain Erica Mae Inocencio said.

Noriel Pineones, the team?s top scorer who made six goals during the tournament, said that instead of crying, ?we showed that the Philippine Miracle team was always smiling.?

Burrows and Formoso organized the Philippines Street Child World Cup team under the auspices of the Henry V. Moran Foundation. Financial support came from corporate sponsors as well as generous individuals simply referred to as ?ninongs,? or godparents.
Winning hearts

Burrows explained why the Filipino team won the hearts of others.

?They practiced hard, showed discipline and a hunger to win even against people who are already playing football at an international level. They have incredible stamina and speed but also a faith that unites them,? Burrows said.

?Watching them lose the first match and then watching them dancing afterwards showed me that in life we have to respond to defeat in the same way as when we win. Their resilient Filipino nature gave them the heart to go on. They believed in themselves.?

The team didn?t simply play. They also visited a safari park, went to the beach with other children, saw the stadium that will host the FIFA World Cup in June and visited local schools, where they were greeted as celebrities.

They shared rooms with the Ukraine team, who spoke no English, but ?they somehow managed to have animated conversations with big smiles and got on so well together,? Burrows said.

Burrows shared one touching moment.

?One of our players did not have the best interpersonal relationship skills but seeing him struggling to communicate with other young people who could not speak English was a real joy. It meant he had to be as articulate as he could. One day, he actually spoke in front of a school class. It was a beautiful moment.?

Upon winning the final game against South Africa, the Filipino players went around the pitch carrying the South African flag in a sign of friendship.

The Filipino players also attended a conference where they and the other teams discussed the rights of street children. They were encouraged to find their own voice without adult intervention.

Team coach Jess Landagan, a former street child himself who grew up to become a national football player, said handling the team was an unforgettable experience for him.

The team thanked those who made their dream come true: Damian and Laura Dunn, Sarah Mcleod, Sandy Moran, Miles Roces, Freddy Gonzalez, Mike Camahort, Marissa Concepcion, Monchu Garcia, Manuel de Jesus, Inaki Alvarez, Carla Ramsey, Dolores Cheng, Fernando Peña, Robs Delfino, Stephen Davis, Dicky & Cathy Rivilla, Manny Pacquiao, Danny Moran, Chris & Natalie Pickering, Anton Cancio, Angela Zalamea, Libet Virata, Camille Samson, Anne Preysler, Tess Maquera, Elizabeth Silverio, John Harton, Elizabeth Kramer, Mitzi Olondriz, John Tiong, Rene Godinez, Tetta Matera, Simon Paterno, Cecilia Suarez, Ina Ayala, Angela Padilla, Emilia Vorbeck, Georges Ramirez, Poch & Mitos Camahort, Paul Atherton, Brendan Hughes, Tristan Eugenio, Mike Moran, Melinda Quimson, Christopher Gaston, Rhona Macasaet, Chris & Linds Boughton, Rhett Eala, Kevin and Rose Anne Belmonte, Gigi Perrett, Lizette & Mikey Cojuangco, Pedro & Gina Roxas, Grace Alcid, Hans & Regina Sicat, Annie Ayllon, Karen Batungbakal, Globe Telecom, Tesoro?s, The Football Alliance Group, Smart Communications, Stone Baptist Church, Unilever, Rotary Street Children Foundation, Bayanihan National Dance Co., Springboard Foundation, Tuloy sa Don Bosco Street Children Village, Whitehouse Scientific, Asian Students Christian Foundation, Amici Pizza Pasta, Amos Trust, Deloitte, Deutsche Bank, Mitre, British Chamber of Commerce and flown to Durban, South Africa by the Angus Lawson Memorial Trust (www.almt.org).