THE ATENEO Blue Shuttles were favored to win it all, being the most talented team; heading into last Sunday’s championship match, on September 26 at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall, many thought it was just a formality.
Fielding Toby Gadi and Patrick Natividad in the first pair of singles action, the Blue Shuttlers were well on their way to the coronation that seemed to have belonged to them since the start of the season.
There were two possible scenarios. First was if after Gadi and P. Natividad’s respective wins, the duo of Paolo Sunga and Justin Natividad would seal the championship in the third match. Second was, if ever Sunga and J. Natividad failed to cap it off, the tandem of Gadi and P. Natividad would surely win their doubles match and the crown would be theirs.
But no one thought P. Natividad would lose his match, and no one thought this finals would extend to a fifth match. That was their waterloo.
P. Natividad faltered in his singles match, giving a glimmer of hope for the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers who capitalized on this golden opportunity to successfully defend their crown as they vanquished the Blue Shuttlers, 3-2, over the boisterous crowd.
In the first game, national team stalwart Gadi came out ablaze against UST’s Tan-tan Kapunan, unleashing a 12-0 run after a 9-all deadlock to grab the first set, 21-9. In the second set, the fired up Gadi showcased his athletic prowess, accentuated by a between the legs return before pointing and roaring to the crowd as his magnificent display which gave him a 21-14 win to put the Blue Shuttlers ahead, 1-0.
P. Natividad seemed lethargic and lackadaisical as he failed to run and save points he usually saved with ease. RJ Ornila exploited on P. Natividad’s weak play to snatch a 21-18, 21-15 victory to tie the score at, 1-1.
With the surprise loss of P. Natividad, Sunga and J. Natividad were needed to step up and win, or else the game would go to a fifth match that would not favor Ateneo. Going against UST star player Ariel Magnaye and Benjude Cafeje, the Blue Shuttlers duo gave it their all, before falling short, 18-21, 16-21. UST was ahead, 2-1.
Everyone knew this was going to a deciding fifth match simply because the fourth match featured a Gadi and P. Natividad team-up. Gadi and P. Natividad steamrolled the tandem of Kapunan and Cafeje, 21-10, 22-20, to knot the score at 2-2.
The fate of the Blue Shuttlers now depended on team captain Sunga who would be playing the deciding fifth match. On any other day, Paolo Sunga on a fifth and deciding match would be very good – he is quick, smart and composed—but going against a UST squad who had its star player Magnaye playing the last match, this proved to be a mismatch.
One official even congratulated UST coach Noli Cajefe before the match started, saying that Magnaye was a sure win, assuring the Tigers of a back to back.
Cajefe preferred to be modest, “Hindi pa naman sigurado, lyamado lang kami, mga 60-40. (We’re not sure yet though were favored to win, 60-40).”
Sunga proved his doubters wrong as his persistence helped him salvage the first set, 21-17, which sent the Ateneo crowd crazy.
Magnaye regained focus in the ensuing set to force a nerve-frazzling third set, 21-16. Sunga stayed close until the very end before Magnaye sealed his team’s second consecutive championship with a 21-17 win.
Sunga was welcomed with claps and chants as he rose to the Ateneo crowd but his grief was apparent. He was, after all, four points shy of the championship.
