SOMETIMES letting go leads to better opportunities.
Steven Anotado is probably thankful that swimming did not work out for him early. He found his niche in football and emerged as the top striker for the UST Golden Booters this year.
“From Grade 1 to 3, I and my twin brother (were into) swimming but I could not win and reach the regional meet and Palarong Pambansa so I shifted to football,” Anotado told the Varsitarian.
Influenced by his cousin, Anotado, a second-year Sports and Wellness Management student, transferred to football when he was in Grade 4 but failed to qualify for his school’s football team in North Cotabato.
Anotado, not ready to give up easily, tried his luck anew the following school year and was finally successful of transitioning from a swimmer to a football player.
“During that time, I decided to focus on football alone,” he said. “I never thought of returning to swimming because I easily found my happiness in football the moment I learned it.”
From then on, the 19-year-old booter managed to become one of the Cotabato region’s main strikers in the Palarong Pambansa from 2008 to 2013, drawing the attention of a number of collegiate scouts and coaches.
Anotado said it was De La Salle University that reached out to him first back when he was in third year high school. But he said he decided to suit up for UST after Golden Booters’ head coach Marjo Allado talked to him the following year in the 2013 Palarong Pambansa in Dumaguete.
Anotado, the fourth leading scorer in UAAP Season 77, admitted that he was waiting for someone from UST to recruit him during that time. Allado approached him during their semifinal game against Region IV-B and offered him a slot in the Tigers’ lair.
“Dream school ko talaga ang UST dati pa. Walang kinalaman ‘yung football,” Anotado said. “I always saw pictures of UST especially the Main Building on the internet since I was in Grade 6 and made me want to study here.”
Three days after the national meet, he flew to Manila to enroll at UST.
Just like any other athlete from the province, Anotado was initially shocked with the intensity of games in Manila especially in the UAAP. He admitted feeling inferiority during his rookie season.
Constantly reminding himself to prove his worth in the team, Anotado slowly made his presence felt in the league. He eventually earned a spot in the starting lineup after a clutch performance against the University of the East in Season 76 when he delivered the game-winning goals inside the final 10 minutes.
With the absence of veteran players this year due to academic deficiencies, the sophomore booter almost single-handedly carried UST in a rather forgettable campaign where he scored a total of 11 goals.
Despite failing to lead the Golden Booters to the Final Four, Anotado caught the attention of United Football League’s Loyola Meralco Sparks team manager Arman del Rosario and tapped him to join the most celebrated team in the local professional league.
Anotado is currently playing with Philippine Azkals stars Phil and James Younghusband and Anton del Rosario in the UFL. He was also invited to try out for the national team that will compete in the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore this June.
“I was surprised when coach (Allado) called me and asked me to try out. To be honest, I never saw myself playing for the national team,” he said. Karl Cedrick G. Basco
