Wise words from a pasaway fueling a star-in-the-making.
There is little doubt that rookie-MVP Angel Canino is the undisputed ace of the De La Salle Lady Spikers, who dethroned the NU Lady Bulldogs to complete their climb back to the volleyball mountaintop in the UAAP.
La Salle, though, was hardly a one-woman show. Seniors Mars Alba and Jolina dela Cruz were steady all season long, while middle blocker Thea Gagate was spectacular at times, even stepping up big time in the Lady Spikers’ title-clinching win over NU. The reigning champs also unleashed Shevana Laput, who provided even more depth to La Salle’s championship-winning run.
The Lady Spikers also had Fifi Sharma, the 21-year-old daughter of former De La Salle Green Archer and ex-PBA player Carlo Sharma. The younger Sharma had a rather unremarkable season last year (her second after her rookie year was cut short by the pandemic just a couple of games in) but emerged as one of La Salle’s main weapons this year, positioning herself as one of cornerstones of a team that could be a dynasty in waiting.
And, on the podcast Play It Right, Sharma told veteran sportscasters Quinito Henson and Dyan Castillejo one of the biggest reasons for her emergence as a budding star: none other than her dad.
“My dad is actually my biggest supporter and my biggest inspiration,” Sharma admitted on the show. “Actually, he mostly tells me what he should’ve done while he was in his college years kasi he feels like he messed up on a lot of opportunities because [he was like] fun, fun lang, ganon, and no discipline. Pasaway [siya], basically.”
To be fair, the elder Sharma was a key player for the Green Archers back in his day, helping the team win four titles even as a pasaway.
All these years later, the big man is making sure Fifi isn’t making the same mistakes he did.
“He always reminds me every day na wag mo sayangin ‘yung opportunity na binibigay sa ‘yo.’ This is once in a lifetime, and when you grow old, you’ll wish na you did everything in your power to maximize the opportunities that were presented in front of you,” Sharma said. “So, that’s what I’m doing now. I make sure I work hard, I set goals to make my parents proud.”
Fifi is a champion now—and a big part of La Salle’s future.
Big daddy Carlo should be incredibly proud.