Words by Lucky Chan
Photos by Karl Angelo G. delos Santos
This article is brought to you by Cherifer!
When the Harbour Centre basketball team started winning Championships in Philippine Basketball League (PBL), Dominic Joaquin Ronquillo Arejola was born to Giselle and Erick Arejola, and the nickname “Champ” was also born.
At the early age of 5, Dad Erick was already the inspiration of Champ to be a baller. Erick Arejola, now a PBA board member representing NorthPort was once a basketball hero of De La Salle Zobel and later with the champion 2001 UAAP DLSU team under Franz Pumaren.
Champ first learned the basics of basketball first from his Dad Erick, then more formally from Coach Eric Altamirano of Coach E and the Milo Best program. Currently, he is being coached at DLSZ by coaches Kane Baylon, Bryce Ong, and Jun Cabling. And when he still has time between varsity practice and academics, he goes to Coach Mark Geli.
Now a grade 7 student, a former member of GEM (Goals for excellence in Mathematics ) and a consistent 1sthonor student at De La Salle Zobel, Champ has been following the footsteps of the winning ways of his Dad Erick. His achievement includes 2019 Throwdown League Champion, 2018 and 2019 Smart Breakdown Basketball Invitationals (BBI) Champion born 07, 2018 International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) Champion born 06 and the 2015,2016,2017,2018 The Village Sports Club Inter-school Basketball (TVSC).
At 5’5” tall, this point guard and shooting guard is tall for his age and could grow taller than his 6-foot dad. Genes is a factor in his physical growth, but to help athletes be taller, taking Cherifer in the morning and for lunch or dinner would help them be Tangkad Sagad!
This article was originally published in Vol. 18 No. 1 of AnimoMagazine.
