IT WAS in the 75th season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Table Tennis Tournament when the Ateneo Men’s Table Tennis team last won a team-tie. Six years later in Season 81, they managed the feat thrice in the season alone.
After five straight winless tourneys dating back to 2012, the Blue Eagles brought home three glorious team-tie victories for Ateneo in Season 81, defying all odds and shattering all expectations except their own. The momentous season was a result of an injection of budding talent, with four fresh-faced rookies making the final UAAP roster. Among them were University of the East (UE) Senior High School graduates, Mark Parman and Jamie De Asis.
Last September 21, 2018, the team ended their longstanding winless streak as they garnered a precious team-tie victory over Adamson University. Parman dazzled like a five-year UAAP veteran in the match, bagging a three-set victory in the first singles match. Following two match losses that put Ateneo on the ropes, De Asis retaliated with a courageous three-set win that helped the team to their first team victory in half a decade.
Building off this momentum, the Blue Eagles managed to pull off a shocking win over table tennis juggernauts the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Paddlers, 3-2, who were three-peat champions from seasons 76 to 78. The Blue and White added to their win column with a drubbing of the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws, 3-1, ending the season with a vastly-improved win-loss record of 3-11.
Photo by Ralph Lim
Destined for Greatness
Both coming from UE Senior High School, Parman and De Asis are not new to the competition, as they competed for UE in the UAAP Table Tennis Juniors Division in Seasons 79 and 80, reaching the Final Four on both occasions. Seeing an opening to become the Ateneo’s talismans, both Parman and De Asis made the jump to Katipunan.
Growing up, Parman had a different path in mind. He was a part of his elementary school’s basketball team. However, a knee injury sidelined him, which made him decide to try another sport. “After [I got injured], I tried table tennis, and I liked it.” From then on, he continued to hone his skills with the paddle.
Despite being a rookie, Parman was often placed in the first singles match of the team-ties. The Rizal-native showed flashes of brilliance and mastery as he tallied a stellar 11-3 win-loss record in his singles matches, highlighted by a nearly flawless 3-0 (11-0, 11-1, 11-3) domination of University of the Philippines (UP) paddler Nigel Santelices last October 12, 2018.
On the other hand, for Jamie De Asis, table tennis was a family matter. With two of his four siblings playing the sport, he started to develop an interest for the game himself. De Asis and his siblings often played with their neighbors when they had free time. After seeing the fast-paced beauty of the game, he told his parents that he wanted to play competitively. From then on, his father, a former table tennis player, trained him.
De Asis always dreamt of being an Atenean. In early 2016, he and his dad reached out to the coaches asking to try out. Soon enough, De Asis in turn proved to be a dream recruit, finishing his rookie season with 4 outstanding singles victories in Season 81.
As early as March 2018, Parman and De Asis started training for Ateneo. “Kahit may pasok pa kami sa UE noon, we trained after class nang 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM. We trained everyday. Then [come] July, we started quartering. Sobrang tutok ng coaches sa amin,” De Asis mentioned.
(Even when we were still going to school in UE then, we trained after class from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM. We trained everyday. Then [come] July, we started quartering. The coaches watched over us closely.)
Photo by Zoey Ignacio
Trust the Process
The squad trained everyday from 6:00 to 11:00 AM, and 3:00 PM until sundown in preparation for Season 81. However, despite placing last in the UAAP standings again this year, Parman and De Asis have high hopes for the team. Both believe that the team can push for the Final Four and eventually compete for a championship, attributing their poor second round performance to rookie jitters and unlucky breaks.
For Team Captain Andre Rondolo, the rookies’ ability to step up in big time matches stood out. “The rookies really made a huge impact on our team.” Rondolo says as he hopes that the team progresses to breed a winning culture for Ateneo table tennis.
With rookies Parman and De Asis leading the new wave of Atenean Paddlers, the Ateneo Men’s Table Tennis team is perched and ready to soar.
