Water polo ‘hotlethe’ open to give show business a try
It was 5:45 a. m. My body was in the studio of “Umagang Kay Ganda” but my mind was still in dreamland — until I saw the program flow of the morning show. It was like hot coffee jolting my system awake.
Aside from myself, members of the Men’s Water Polo Team that won the silver medal in the recent South East Asian Games were invited as guest celebrities on the show. The hot althletes or “hotlethes” became instant celebrities because of their good looks and amazing bodies. Their pictures that show them in bikini trunks were all over social media. They were even given a hashtag, that is #pandesalboys because of their six-pack abs.
When the team came in, I immediately looked for Aljon Salonga, the crowd favorite, and asked him if I could interview him for this column. I swear that if I were single and 10 years younger, it would have been the perfect alibi to get a hot guy’s number, hahaha!
Anyway, let’s get to know more of Mr. Pandesal Boy:
When did you decide water polo would be your sport and passion?
“In 2011, our swim team captain in UST was a member of the Philippine Water Polo team. He taught us how to play the sport. I felt so excited because I have never heard of a sport that combines basketball, swimming, soccer, and wrestling. That’s when I knew water polo was going to be my passion. Fortunately, when I tried out for the national team, I got accepted as member of batch 2012.”
How do you feel being “objectified” by some women?
“No big deal. I just take it as a compliment that people choose to give me their attention.”
What is a regular day for an athlete like you?
“I wake up in the dorm at 5:30 A.M. for training, sometimes earlier. I usually wake up before my alarm clock rings. I think its my excitement to play water polo that does that. We train from 6 A.M. to 10 A.M., then eat at the canteen afterwards. My rest would be at lunch time, then I drive to Las Piñas at around 2 P.M. to join my swimming team there. I am an assistant swimming coach in a private school where I coach from 3:30 P.M. to 6:30 P.M. then I go home. Sometimes I play basketball with friends near my place in Las Piñas before heading back to my dorm.”
What is the diet in order to get pandesal abs?
“Actually, I eat anything except shrimp because I’m allergic to it. I don’t limit my food intake because a water polo player is hungry all time. I guess the ‘pandesal’ comes from the rigorous training we have everyday.”
Do you have a girlfriend?
“Yes, I have a girlfriend. I spend time with her during weekends and whenever schedule permits on holidays.”
Do you plan to join show business? Are there offers already?
“If opportunity knocks, I would grab it. Who doesn’t want to become an artista?
“One of my childhood dreams is to be a housemate on the ‘Pinoy Big Brother’ house. I am also serious when I posted on Instagram that I want to be a Bench model.
“I don’t have any offers at the moment, but I have done a few commercials and print ads, and I’m eager to do more. I sometimes audition in Makati for TVCs and print ads during my lunch breaks before driving to Las Piñas for my coaching.”
Do girls screaming excite or distract you during games?
“When I’m in the pool, I try to keep my head in the game as much as possible. I need to make sure I don’t lose focus. But, yeah, sometimes the crowd would distract me, especially when there are lots of people screaming.”
What is your message to up and coming water polo athletes?
“Don’t give up on anything you want to achieve. Work hard and be resilient so that someday you will reap the fruits of your hard work.”
Did you think your team would beat Singapore?
“We already beat them in the overall rankings even if our match with them was a draw. That’s why we’re really happy now that we have made history. After two decades, we finally beat Singapore and we finally made it to the podium.”
Do you think athletes could use more funding from the government?
“Yes, I believe that when you invest in the athletes’ training and needs, there’s no way to go but up. Filipino athletes are very hardworking and determined to make our country proud. Whenever the government gives them funds, they make sure it will count and they will deliver.
“Just like our water polo team right now, after several years, we finally had received good support and funding from our government, that’s why we had a huge improvement. We went from being 5th place last SEA Games to being undefeated silver medalists this 30th SEA Games.”
Good luck to you, Aljon, and see you on the silver screen!