MABALACAT, Pampanga -Justine Rosales never thought that he would one day be playing alongside his father in a softball game - let alone representing the country together in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
Even his father, Apolonio, never thought of it, since he had already hanged up his cleats after the 2015 edition in Singapore.
But, as fate would have it, the duo are doing just that for the RP Blu Boys and taking that age-old bonding activity of father and son playing catch to a whole new level.
Apol, 42, and Justine, 16, are just two of the key players of a squad that is bent on defending their SEA Games men's softball gold medal.
"[Playing with my dad] was not in my vocabulary because I was too young when he played. I thought I would never play with him," said Justine, who is now playing for the UST Junior Golden Sox.
Apol, one of the most decorated Blu Boys of all time, was called back to by team sponsor Jean Henri Lhuillier to coach and play for the team once again. Just at the right time, Justine found his mark and qualified as well.
In Tuesday's game against Indonesia, Justine saw first-hand his father's prowess, as the 42-year-old baseman flied home to give the lead for the Philippines, 4-3.
Playing coach Apol Rosales (#16) and his son Justin (#22) now on the field together.
— ESPN5 (@Sports5PH) December 3, 2019
(🎥 @nikkiviola_) #SamaSamaSaSEAGames #SEAGames2019 #WeWinAsOne pic.twitter.com/s6rMPUd40A
As coach, Apol also tends to the mistakes of his son. The elder Rosales notes that things are not awkward between them since they endear each other just like friends.
"Since I am the head coach, when my son gets an error, he gets shy," Apol told ESPN5.
Justin, for his part, is savoring every opportunity he gets in playing with his old man.
"It's better playing with [Dad] because he guide me every step of the way. If I commit an error, he can immediately rectify it so I could recover as well."
If all goes well, the Rosaleses will not only have played together for the country, they will also receive their gold medals together.
Note: an earlier version of the story erroneously identified the father-son tandem as Justine and Apolonio Serrano. We regret the error.