Team Lakay’s head coach Mark Sangiao will be one of the busiest men in the next couple of weeks as seven of his beloved pupils are set to conquer inside the ONE Circle.
First in line will be bantamweight stars Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon and Stephen “The Sniper” Loman who will be competing on the main card of ONE ON PRIME VIDEO 4 on November 19 in Singapore, while Jenelyn “The Graceful” Olsim, Jeremy “The Juggernaut” Pacatiw, Geje “Gravity” Eustaquiao, Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, and Joshua “The Passion” Pacio will compete in front of their countrymen in Manila at ONE 164 on December 3.
Those seven are some of the biggest matches the team will face this 2022, and despite the enormous task waiting for him, the world-class head coach makes sure that he as well will be 100% ready to guide the team to victory.
“I’m very excited. We’ve been patiently waiting and preparing non-stop for opportunities like these and it’s finally happening. I know the magnitude of these matches and just like them, I’m also ready for these challenges,” Sangiao said.
Guiding Team Lakay inside the ONE Circle for more than a decade, the assignments set for Sangiao in Singapore and Manila are not new to him, as the team already fought several times with most of them happening in one night alone.
Preparing his fighters to be fully equipped, the 43-year-old mentor shares that he closely observe them one by one to check their progress, at the same time, keeping them motivated and driven to succeed.
“I always talk to them. We always have some small pep talks. I monitor each one of them with the help of my fellow coaches. From their boxing, ground game, and strength and conditioning, we want to make sure that we’re evaluating their progress. Help them to improve and grow more. Their development is very important,” Sangiao shared.
Many believe that Team Lakay won’t be in their position right now if not because of Sangiao, but for the La Trinidad gym head coach, everything they earned right now is simple — trust and unity of the team.
“As I always say, we don’t have a secret formula. It’s all about the attitude and teamwork. Just keep the team tight and remain hands-on,” said Sangiao.
With another massive responsibility ahead, Sangiao always makes sure that his boys will be at their best when they step inside the ONE Championship stage.
“I always remind them to treat every match as if it’s their last match. Give your all, this is your stage. Gaget, gaget, trabaho! (Persevere, work!),” Sangiao ended.
Fight Game Asia 