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Pinoy Abroad
Top Fil-Aussie handball athlete loves adobo, dinuguan
Top Filipino-Australian handball player Bevan Calvert may have grown up in Australia but he's definitely a Pinoy at heart as he loves to eat Filipino delicacies such as adobo and dinuguan. In an interview with GMA News Online, Bevan's mother Violi said "he certainly loves adobo, pancit, lumpia, and dinuguan!" Bevan was named the best scorer in the "2012 Oceania Regional Handball Men’s World Championship Qualifier" held at the Dural Sport and Leisure Center on June 23.
A report of the news site Kalatas said Bevan, the handball captain of Australia’s national team, scored 11 of 62 goals, sealing the win.
The victory carries Australia to Spain in January 2013 where Bevan and the Australian team will represent the Oceania Region in the World Championship. 
Pinoy roots
Filipino-Australian Bevan Calvert was recently named handball ambassador by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Photo by Jun Tanlayco, New Zealand Handball Federation
Calvert has a Filipina mother from Cabiao, Nueva Ecija and an Australian father, John Calvert.
He was born in Sydney, Australia on April 4, 1986 which is why he mostly wears the number four on his jersey uniforms.
He also has an elder brother, Timothy Calvert, who excels in soccer. Both athletes, the brothers are big fans of another famous Filipino athlete — boxing icon and Saranggani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, their mother said. Violi said Bevan and his brother have already visited the Philippines twice, first in 1993 and then in 2004. When they were in the Philippines, both boys were comfortable following Filipino traditions like the "mano po" (blessing of the hand of their elders), their mother said. “Because of being in Germany and with their work-study-sport load, our plan to have them go back for a visit has not happened. Hopefully next year, the Boracay trip will eventuate. They looove to go back again for a visit,” Violi said. While Bevan is fluent in English, German, and Danish, he speaks little Tagalog. “Bevan learned Danish while in Denmark and now is very fluent in German. They understand and could say ‘salamat’, ‘kumusta’, ‘mabuti’, ‘mabuhay,’” Violi said. She explained that the brothers' grandmother, who took care of them when Violi was at work, didn’t teach them Tagalog for fear of "confusing" them. “Sayang talaga because kids are smart to handle two languages, but now they say it is difficult. I think if they are put in a situation they need to learn it, they would,” she added.
Violi said Bevan enjoys spending time with their Filipino relatives in Australia.
“He hangs out with his cousins - half are of Filipino parents and half are of Fil-Aussie parenthood. Everyone calls the eldest cousin "Kuya" and everyone else is first name basis, like Aussies do,” Violi said.
Already an athlete at a young age
Bevan started playing handball in his school — Turramurra High School — and has already participated in four world championships and other international tournaments.
He won the Championship of the New South Wales Schools Challenge in 2001.
A report of the news site The Filipino Australian said Bevan was the youngest Fil-Aussie to join the Australian national team at age 17.
He was chosen as team captain for the Australian national team, leading it to victory during the 2012 Oceania Region World Championship Qualifier with both games having identical scores of 31-10.
He later played in Denmark from 2006 to 2009 and moved to Germany afterwards to play professionally for TSV Altenholz. Handball ambassador
In May, Bevan was selected by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard to represent the sport as handball ambassador for the PM’s Olympic and Paralympic challenges.
As ambassador, he will be promoting handball to the Australian youth while inviting them to the Olympic and Paralympic challenge.
The challenges were designed to encourage Australian primary school-aged children to try various sports, according to a news release of Handball Australia.
The Olympic and Paralympic challenges both started on May 28 and will end on August 12 and September 9 respectively. - VVP, GMA News
