Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
Taking its act from the football pitch to the basketball court, Ultras Filipinas has been relentless in supporting Gilas Pilipinas in the 2017 Seaba Championship with their singing, chanting, and dancing.
And for the group, it only has one goal in mind: to be the unifying factor in the audience in cheering for the national team.
“We just want to spread the Ultras mentality — the aggressive kind of support same with those in European and South American countries,” said Daryll Jameson Apaga, an Ultras “capo,” a chant leader.
As one of the heads who lead the 100-man strong group in its chants, Apaga is pegging Ultras to be the country’s leading boosters.
That’s why the group has gone out of its way to cheer not only for the Philippine Azkals but also for Gilas.
“Our neighboring countries like Malaysia and Indonesia have that kind of support. So for us, we want to do that, as idealistic as it may seem, to be the standard,” he said.
And their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed, with coach Chot Reyes and the rest of Gilas players thanking the group for their continuous support through the course of the tournament.
For Apaga, he said that these kinds of appreciation make all their hard work worth it.
“We’re happy to have given them confidence, to continue fighting on until we reach what we want to achieve,” he said. “Their appreciation and also the support of our fellow fans in the venue also give us boost to continue supporting them.” IDL
