Tongi was present at T-Mobile Field in Seattle for the MLB’s 2023 All-Star Home Run Derby, where he was slated to perform the national anthem before the MLB players took the field. As the 18-year-old commenced singing, the large crowd in the stadium stood up and removed their headgear.
Although Tongi delivered a beautiful rendition of the anthem, he only realized something was amiss after concluding the performance – he had sung the entire song with his baseball hat still on his head.
On June 11, 2023, Tongi took to his YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram accounts to apologize for the oversight. On Twitter, he shared, “Tens of thousands of people. I walk out, and my uncle reminds me to remove my hat before I start singing. I remember. A few seconds later, the nerves took in and [I] didn’t remember until it was all done.”
Despite having prior experience performing in front of audiences, this was Tongi’s largest crowd, explaining the nerves that crept in. He elaborated on his YouTube channel, noting, “First try at singing the National Anthem. So nervous that it was in front of such a huge crowd. And apologize for being so nervous and forgot to take off the hat.”
Fortunately, fans were understanding and accepted his apology. Some even admitted they hadn’t noticed the hat until after he apologized. One fan on Instagram commented, “Wow, it’s funny I didn’t even notice because you did such a great job. ✌🏻🇺🇲👍🏻 and you apologized… who does that anymore.. your father raised you right.👍🏻🙏🏻”
