UNKNOWN to many, two-time Southeast Asian Games double gold winner Archand Christian Bagsit was part of an elite batch — not in athletics but in basketball.
Before switching to track, Bagsit was actually a basketball player who played for Letran's juniors team in the NCAA. Even more interesting to note was that Bagsit was a teammate of no less than GlobalPort star Terrence Romeo and Gilas cadet member Kevin Alas in the Squires' 2007 team.
Romeo eventually moved to Far Eastern University where he once scored 83 points in the juniors division in 2009. He also won the UAAP Rookie of the Year award in 2010 and the Most Valuable Player honor in the seniors division the past season.
Alas stayed on at Letran and had a stellar career in high school and college with the Knights before becoming a member of the national team in the SEA Games.
Other notable players from that talented 2007 Squires squad were University of the East’s JM Noble and National University’s Glenn Khobuntin.
While unheralded in that batch, Alas recalled Bagsit was one of the fastest and hardest working players in that Squires squad.
“Siya ang pinakamasipag sa team. Pinakamabilis at hindi napapagod,” said Alas, who, like Bagsit, also won a SEA Games gold when Sinag Pilipinas bagged the country's 16th gold medal in men’s basketball.
Bagsit's talent obviously made him perfect for athletics.
While his other teammates made a name for themselves in basketball, Bagsit became part of the athletics team in Letran before making the grade in the national team.
After winning silver in the 2011 SEA Games in Palembang, Indonesia, Bagsit finally claimed not just one but two gold medals as he ruled the 400-meter run in Mynmar before joining forces with Isidro Del Prado, Julius Nierras, and Edgar Alejan in a golden performance in the 4x400m run.
The switch from hoops to track has paid off.
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