The collaborative effort of track and field members from Ateneo de Manila University, Far Eastern University, and University of Santo Tomas had their hands full in the 14th ASEAN University Games held at Malaysia.
Held last December 15-18, the Philippine team finished sixth overall, well behind the host country as well as powerhouses Vietnam and Thailand. Indonesia and Singapore rounded out the top five.
UAAP board members handpicked the team.
Victorious
Nic Hey (III AB IS) proved victorious, garnering a silver medal in the hammer event while also competing in the shot put as well.
“I felt really proud to represent the Philippines. I’ve [dreamt] of it since grade school,” said Hey.
Maica Sibayan (III AB Comm) also won the bronze in javelin.
“The tournament was like a mini-Olympics, everything was automated, from the starting blocks to the timers,” said Charles Bañez (III AB IS). He noted that these little things change the complexion of the game, as it reduces human error to a minimum, a factor that could alter the results of their events.
Bañez competed in the 4 x 1 relay and also in the long jump.
Standpoint
The tournament also provided the team with a standpoint of where Ateneo is in entering Season 71 of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) games this February. “Mas mataas ang fighting chance namin [We have a better fighting chance]. Our level of confidence also increased coming into the UAAP season,” Hey said.
Head Coach Mic Perez, the Philippine Delegation Manager for the event, had to deal with key losses from the team due to age ineligibilities and injuries that sidelined players.
In fact, it was these losses that propelled Bañez and Hey into the lineup, which made it extra special for both of them.
“I had to prove something. I needed to show that they [Coach Mic and the UAAP board] made a good decision and that I deserve this spot,” said Hey.
The tournament also served as a yardstick as to how the Philippine team placed against the competition. “Size-wise, our opponents were a lot larger, especially those from Thailand and Vietnam,” Bañez added.
After the UAAP season, the Ateneo Tracksters prepare for the Philippine National Open, the qualifying tournament for the Southeast Asian Games to be held later this year.
