Despite all his achievements, the young EXP Laner is always making sure that his feet are on the ground.
Teams and players rise and fall, but there are few players in MLBB who’ve had such a strong presence in the competitive MLBB world as Team Liquid’s Sanford.
In the four years he’s been playing professionally, he’s distinguished himself in both local and international tournaments, has been in contention as one of the best EXP Laners in the world, and he’s only 19 years old. Sanford Vinuya is definitely no stranger to the spotlight, but somehow, he’s managed to stay grounded despite it.
“Feel ko kailangan ko umapak sa lupa,” said Team Liquid’s Sanford when asked if he’s reflected on his success. “Kasi ayaw ko yung feeling na masyadong mataas sa sarili. Niniwala ako sa karma. So feel ko na malayo na ako pero malayo pa rin.”
To him, looking back at his past achievements reminds him of all the work he’s done instead of letting it all go to his head. When asked how he’s able to ground himself like this, he simply pushes those unnecessary thoughts out of his mind.
“May times nga na mayroon mas-gagaling sayo. So everytime naglalaro kami sa tournaments reset talaga,” said Team Liquid’s Sanford. “Walang achievements, walang everything, just pure you. Tapos kung gusto mo manalo, then let the best team win.”
A Champion’s Mindset
Simple as it sounds, not every player can prevent all the glitz and glory from distracting them. Being proud of what you’ve achieved is fine, and that confidence can even be a boon for some. But Sanford is always wary of becoming overconfident as he’s also seen what it can do to players.
“It really depends sa tao. Kasi, for me lang, yung mga tao na nagiging overconfident ay talagang hindi na nagshi-shine ulit. Wala akong pinapatamaan, nangyayari din yun sa mga ibang esports.”
In that sense, Sanford has an incredibly mature mindset for someone so young. As to how he was able to form that mindset, he just keeps looking back to remind himself of where he came from.
“Naaalala ko pa rin yung time ko as a rookie. Feel ko yun parin yung tingin ko sa sarili ko,” said Team Liquid’s Sanford. “So palagi kong tinatatak sa utak ko na naging rookie ka din. So kahit may achievements ka na, wag maging overconfident. Tamang angas lang.”
Banner photo from Esports World Cup.