As Father’s Day draws nearer, Robin “The Ilonggo” Catalan paid tribute to the man that has been like his father for the last decade.
More than a coach and an older brother, third-ranked ONE Championship strawweight Rene “The Challenger” Catalan stands as a mentor to Robin and all the other athletes at Catalan Fighting System.
“In any home, there has to be a foundation and that was kuya Rene for us, not just for me as his brother but also for all our athletes,” Robin said.
“He guided us and taught us discipline so we can all achieve our goals and dreams of making it big in the world of martial arts.”
It was in 2007 when “The Ilonggo” first travelled to Manila to pursue his dreams as a martial artist, and Rene has always been by his side.
The brothers have experienced trials, hardships, and victories together since then, and that is why “The Ilonggo” will always be grateful to his older brother.
“We’ve been together for 12 years here in Manila. It was in 2007 where I travelled to Manila and he’s been with me since,” he said.
“He’s more than just a father to us, if there’s no Rene Catalan, we would not be here.”
For all the sacrifices that Rene has made for the betterment of the team, Robin knows it will be near impossible to repay his older brother for everything.
The only thing he can do now is to be at his best and live up to the vision that his father-figure has for him.
"I want to repay him by bringing honor to this camp. There’s no better way to repay someone than to show him that you’ve reached your goals and dreams because of him,” he said.
“Every win, every victory, is for him. That’s how I repay him.”
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