UNTIL he met his untimely death, Divine Adili had a bright future ahead of him.
Discoverer and adviser Gabby Velasco said Adili reminded him of one dominant foreign student-athlete from the past the moment he got a glimpse of the highlight plays of the 6-foot-10 Nigerian.
“Yung first impression ko kay Divine, puwede itong Ben Mbala. Ganun na ganun. Kasi malaki siya, maliksi, malakas ang katawan,” said the head of basketball program at New Era University.
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Velasco was shown Adili’s games in Nigeria through his agent John Akindele, a compatriot of Divine and also a former player at New Era.
The man who once mentored brothers Yancy and Ranidel De Ocampo at St. Francis of Assisi College was tasked to look for a foreign student athlete for New Era’s junior team the moment he assumed the role as basketball consultant of the school associated with the Iglesia ni Cristo.
One of New Era’s sponsors, Art Onas, who is also former athletic director of St. Francis, was the man who asked Velasco about recruiting a young foreign student athlete to play for the Junior Hunters.
“So I talked to John and immediately, when I saw the video, kaagad nagustuhan ko yung game niya (Adili). May size siya, may skills. I like his game. Sabi ko, puwede ito,” recalled Velasco.
After a month of negotiations, Adili finally agreed to come over and play in the country.
“Immediately, I ordered a bed na talagang for his size and then joined the rest of the team sa school dorm,” said Velasco, who steered St. Francis to five straight NCRAA championships.
Adili would dominate for New Era in the two seasons he played for the school, winning back-to-back NAASCU titles where he was also adjudged two-time MVP.
When Ateneo officially recruited Adili for the Blue Eagles, the school also had the same impression of the player as Velasco.
“Nung kinontak ako ng Ateneo for his services, ganun din yung impression (nila). Puwedeng gawin, puwedeng eventually ma-develop into another Ben Mbala. And we know naman kung paano dinominate ni Mbala ang UAAP,” said the 54-year-old champion coach.
Mbala is the Cameroonian foreign student athlete who won championships in the Cesafi with Southwestern University, and later in the UAAP with De La Salle. He was likewise a back-to-back UAAP MVP in 2016 and 2017.
Adili actually had a sizzling start for the Blue Eagles in his rookie year during the UAAP Season 88 when Ateneo began its campaign with four straight wins.
Unfortunately, a back problem hindered his stint.
“Last year, the whole UAAP season he had a back injury. Kaya hindi tuluy-tuloy yung laro niya. He was not consistent,” said Velasco.
Adili ended his rookie season with averages of 8.4 points and 8.3 rebounds in 11 games as the Blue Eagles limped home following their hot start.
But going to the incoming season, Adili was finally injury free.
Tinanong ko siya, ‘How is your back?’ Sabi niya, ‘Ok na coach.’”
"And I believe him. So I told him I want to see a better Adili,” said Velasco.
That wouldn’t happen no more after Adili along with rookie teammate Rene Baterbonia drowned during Ateneo’s training camp in Dipaculao, Aurora on Monday.
Velasco got to pay his final respect on his former protégé on Saturday night during the wake of the Nigerian player at the Immaculate Concepcion Chapel inside the Loyola Heights campus.
“Marami from New Era, yung officials, mga teachers niya, teammates, classmates gustong pumunta sa viewing niya,” said Velasco. “Gusto namin makita siya for the last time.”
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