Finals MVP Michelle Gumabao. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Pocari Sweat may have been the triumphant side on Monday, but it didn’t really get the raucous ovation from the crowd.
Some of the fans inside Philsports Arena in Pasig even booed when the Lady Warriors were called up to receive their championship trophy after their 25-14, 25-10, 22-25, 25-23 Game 2 conquest of Bureau of Customs.
But Finals MVP Michele Gumabao and the rest of her team are already used to this rowdy audience.
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“Di na naman para sa amin ang crowd pero ok lang. We know our supporters and as long as we’re together, working inside the court, we’re going to win each and every game,” she said after Pocari Sweat swept the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Reinforced Conference Finals.
Known for her ferocity, Gumabao shared that fans cheering against her team has been customary for her since her collegiate days.
Fans at the Philsports Arena. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
“Basta kalaban namin ang Ateneo, di talaga para sa amin yung crowd, ever since La Salle pa ako in our UAAP days,” she said.
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Getting used to these situations allowed Gumabao to use the boos as motivation, fueling her team to do the same whenever they play in front of a hostile crowd.
“Ako naman as a player, natutuwa ako pag malakas yung crowd. Kaya siguro lumalabas yung college day self ko pag nagwa-wild na yung crowd. Yung energy ko kasi nakikisabay sa crowd pag naka-on yung crowd. Personally, natutuwa ako sa maiingay na venue, like MOA Arena na punong puno. Doon ako natutuwa at ginaganahan,” she said.
And Gumabao did, helping her side clinch the championship in a tough four-setter, much to the dismay of the Customs-leaning audience.
“Kahit di na ‘Go Pocari!’ yung naririnig ko, ok lang. They’re still here to watch and we’re still here to play,” she said. “At the end of the day, the best way to silence a crowd is to win and that’s what we did a good job on today.”