MANILA – Sudan Daniel was a well-loved San Beda alumnus inside and outside the court, his former coach Frankie Lim said.
"Su is a player you want to have in your team. I think SBU (San Beda University) is blessed to have a player like Sudan," he said on Monday night.
While he may be a terrifying presence on the hardwood with his slam dunks and energy, Daniel was a different person outside of it, according to Lim.
"Outside of the court, Su was very well-loved by his teammates and the Bedan community. He was very sociable and got along with just about everyone. He is also a very good example of a student athlete. He teaches kids basketball and he is also well-loved by them, not because he was a great teacher but he is teaching from experience," he said. "It was a blessing for many of us who had a chance to get to know him. He was very personable, had a good sense of reality and he worked hard. He lit up every room he was in."
Lim even said Daniel, who would go on to become a skills coach after his two-year run with the Red Lions, somehow became part of his extended family.
"Su was part of the family. Su spent (the) holidays with us. He was the big kuya at home and he grew up with everyone. He was our adopted child. He was a constant figure in not just our celebrations but also regular lunches and dinners. He calls my wife mom, and was a big brother to my daughter, Miakka and my son, Melo, who was his teammate and Tyler, who he saw grow up," he added.
However, all of these would have not happened if Lim insisted on cutting Daniel from the San Beda lineup before the 2009 National Collegiate Athletic Association season.
"A little known fact about my relationship with Su: I almost sent him home back in 2009 but since then, he worked hard day in and day out and proved that he could do this," Lim said.
The hard work paid off as Daniel, mainly playing off the bench, won the 2009 Rookie of the Year award, and the Most Valuable Player (MVP) plum the next year.
"Next thing you know, we swept the whole thing and he had a complete turnaround. He copped the MVP and Defensive Player (of the Year) awards that year while coming off the bench and only playing an average of 22 minutes a game," he added. "He will give you excellent numbers. I don’t think we can achieve the sweep in 2010 without Su."
That is why he, along with the rest of his fellow San Beda alumni, was saddened when Daniel, just nine days after celebrating his 33rd birthday, passed away on Saturday due to asthma.
"Sudan's passing is a tragedy for our family," Lim said. "This is very devastating for us as a family and personally for me as he was like a son to me."
However, he noted that it is an opportunity to repay Daniel for his accomplishments and contributions.
"Su always told us, 'I got your back.' But now, it's our time to have his," Lim said. (PNA)
