THE University of the Philippines men’s basketball team is blessed to have, among its supporters, a generous woman whose family is among the richest in the Philippines.
Think of Robina Gokongwei-Pe, who manages one of the biggest multi-format retailers in the country, as an angel investor who hardly meddles in every day team decisions and only cares about her stake eventually paying dividends; in this case, seeing the Fighting Maroons succeed.
“I don't know anything about basketball,” the Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. (RRCHI) chair admitted in the Locked Down podcast on Sports Beat PH. “As long as we know where our money goes, we're okay. And of course, as long as they win.”
READ: From 'dark days' to dominance, UP-Robinsons relationship still going strong
But make no mistake. Gokongwei-Pe definitely knows a thing or two about competitive sports.
Unknown to many, the longtime State U supporter was a member of the UP varsity swim team in the late 1970s.
“I made the team, but super bangko,” Gokongwei-Pe shared of her extra-curricular activity when she attended UP from 1978 to 1981 before graduating with a journalism degree from New York University in 1984.
From swimming benchwarmer to business superstar, the eldest daughter of the late John Gokongwei Jr. knows both worlds.
You win some, you lose some - in sports and business
So we asked her what sports can teach that everyone can apply in business and in life, Gokongwei-Pe listed three things that are common ground.
“It teaches you to lose, and by losing, you work harder so that you can win,” the 63-year-old entrepreneur said. “Of course, you feel bad losing, but by losing, you learn a lot of things.”
The Fighting Maroons can attest to that. Since Gokongwei-Pe started officially supporting the team in 2010, they had two winless seasons and won just seven times in 84 games until 2015.
The maroon-and-green finally learned from its losses, as it started to turn it around under coach Bo Perasol in 2016 with a respectable 5-9 win-loss slate. Two years later, the Diliman-based team reached the finals for the first time in over three decades and have since never missed the Final Four.
When Goldwin Monteverde took over as head coach in 2021 with Perasol moving up to basketball program director and eventually, UP athletic director, the Fighting Maroons captured their first UAAP title since 1986 to end Ateneo’s three-year reign.
READ Robina and her unwavering support for 'Marooned' Five
And when it rains, it pours, as UP has now won two championships in the last four years after ruling Season 87 at the expense of La Salle.
“And then number two, you learn about teamwork,” Gokongwei-Pe continued.
Through their success, the Fighting Maroons have had powerhouse squads that know how to spread the wealth.
In the 2022 title-clinching game against the Blue Eagles, JD Cagulangan dished out the assist to Malick Diouf’s game-tying dunk before Cagulangan buried the game-winning triple in overtime to end their title drought.
Last year, Cagulangan stepped on center stage once again, but had plenty of help from Francis Lopez, Quentin Milllora-Brown, and Gerry Abadiano to beat the Green Archers in the decider.
But Gokongwei-Pe reminds everyone to always stay on their toes.
As she put it, “And then number three, if you win, you always have to think that you're not going to win forever. Because one day, somebody younger is going to beat your record.”
"So it's like in business, you can't be complacent because one day, somebody is going to suddenly come out of nowhere and take your market share just because you were complacent."
It’s a timely reminder for UP, as it defends its title in the upcoming Season 88.
But regardless of where the Fighting Maroons end up, their 'Grand Ninang' will always be there.
“We've been sponsoring them since they were 0-14. So as long as they try their best and they're having fun and they attend classes, we're fine with that,” Gokongwei-Pe said.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
