THEY are two of the most colorful coaches in Philippine volleyball, not to mention they also own the most unique nicknames.
Ever wondered how Kungfu Reyes and Shaq delos Santos got their nicknames? We, too, so we asked.
"Ang tagal ng trivia n'yan," laughed the current University of Santo Tomas women's volleyball coach, whose full name is actually Emilio Reyes, Jr., when asked where the hell 'Kungful' came from.
Reyes, 36, said he was christened 'Kungfu' by his grandfather owing to his looks when he was a child.
“‘Yung lolo ko ang nagbigay ng pangalang ‘yan sa akin kasi noong bata ako, kalbo ako na mataba na singkit,” he shared. “Mukha daw akong Shaolin master kaya tinawag niya akong Kungfu.”
Reyes did not grow up to be a Shaolin Kungfu master, instead becoming an Army sergeant and a drillmaster of a volleyball coach. But the nickname has stuck.
How about delos Santos?
His real name is Cesael, but the current coach of Petron in the Philippine Super Liga is more popularly known by a nickname given by teammates when he was a rookie with the Far Eastern University's volleyball team in the mid-90s.
“Noong dumating ako sa FEU, maitim talaga ako sobra kaya tinawag nila akong Shaq,” he said, referring, of course, to former NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal.
“Ang layo sa tunay kong pangalan, ano?" the former FEU Lady Tamaraws coach added.
So there.
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