POWERED BY MAMA’S LOVE
Faida Bakanke easily stands out as one of the biggest reasons why Far Eastern University is in a very strong position to advance to the Final Four of the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament.
The sophomore opposite hitter has managed to stay in the moment to help her Morayta-based crew. But her motivation is somewhere far away—around 11,105 kilometers away.
“My mother [is driving me to perform here],” Bakanke told the Inquirer, referring to her mom who is in her home country of Congo. “She always reminds me that ‘you are there to play and also to study so I am here if you need someone to motivate you even if I am far.’
“‘I am not there in the Philippines, but I am still there with you,’ so she’s my motivation, that is why I do everything for her,” she added after dropping 20 points made up of 17 kills and three blocks in a 25-21, 25-16, 14-25, 26-24 victory over University of the Philippines on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Aside from some quiet performances, Bakanke has been making noise with significant numbers, especially in the crucial second round of the eliminations where she’s helped the Lady Tamaraws to a 7-4 card, identical with University of Santo Tomas.
After 11 games, Bakanke has so far tallied 147 points to power Far Eastern, which, after an early exit in the semis last year despite giving National University a scare by claiming Game 1 of their playoff matchup, is determined to show that it is now ripe to go all the way.
“She said to me ‘You need to have a connection with God. Always pray. If things are not working, just pray. Because with God, we can do everything.
“With God, nothing is impossible. But God also needs you to have connection with Her and don’t give up,’” Bakanke went on.
“‘With God you cannot give up. With God you can be who you are, who you need to be. That’s what my mother always (tells) me.’”
With her real mom is far away, Bakanke looks and treats at coach Tina Salak as a mother figure. And the coach has, in turn, entrusted the Congo native to power the Lady Tamaraws.
“It’s a real blessing because she’s given me confidence. I can say 100 percent confidence coming from the coaches,” Bakanke said. “[Coach Tina] believes in me, she said ‘you can do it talaga Faida.’
“‘Even if [the opponents] block you, it’s okay but you should be there, you should be present every moment inside the court because I trust in you,’” she added.
There’s still some ways to go in the Lady Tamaraws attempt to write a better story this season. And expect that in every game, they show up moving forward with Bakanke and the rest of the Lady Tamaraws’ goal staying the same.
“We did not finish our goal [last year] so we’ll still be there. This is about the determination how we can shift it,” she said.
“This is how I can step up—with my teammates—because without them I cannot be Faida,” Bakanke said.
The Tams, though, know what needs to be done first, especially after how Adamson conquered National U in the second game on Sunday to muddle up the Final Four rankings race.
“The first we need to attain is Final Four. And then the second we need to do is be in the Finals,” she said.
“We are determined to attain not only to be in the Final Four (and if we don’t win it) its sayang. So we need to be there hanggang dulo (until the very end),” she added.
