AFTER FINISHING strong last year with silver and gold, respectively, the Ateneo Blue and Lady Shuttlers are locked and loaded to bring both crowns back to the Loyola Heights in Season 76.
Despite the loss of 2011 men’s badminton Most Valuable Player (MVP) Toby Gadi and 2012 women’s badminton MVP Gelita Castilo, both teams have their sights set on making another title run.
Defending the throne
Two years ago, the Lady Shuttlers faced off with University of the East in the championship match, a heated game that turned out to be a heartbreaking loss. After such a devastating experience, the team entered the hard court with more motivation and determination the following year.
As they had hoped, the women’s badminton team turned in a memorable Season 75, sweeping the tournament, then clinching the championship against Far Eastern University in the finals.
Successfully defending the crown, however, will not be an easy task for the team this year with the departure of Castilo. Without last season’s MVP, Coach Kennie Asuncion can no longer field the top-ranked Philippine Badminton Ranking System (Pbars) doubles tandem of Castilo and Dia Magno.
Even with that disadvantage, the Lady Shuttlers have more than enough players returning from last season’s championship lineup. Team captains Magno and Paula Filart will lead this year’s squad along with 2012 Rookie of the Year Jana De Vera. Magno singles out two things that will help the team end the season as champions once more: Confidence and trust. “The confidence that the women’s team has, not everyone can have it, but I believe that my girls have it,” she says. “The belief of Coach Ken [Asuncion] in us, and that we believe in our coach and in each other, that’s a big factor in winning the championship.”
There is no one school that has consistently dominated the women’s division standings in he past few years. Every team can be considered a threat to the Lady Shuttlers’ back-to-back aspirations. Nevertheless, the Lady Shuttlers—armed with a combination of veterans with championship experience and rookies full of potential—are more than capable of thwarting their dangerous opponents.
Of course we were down a little bit when Toby left… She [Coach Asuncion] said that the Lord would not give this situation to us if we couldn’t handle it.
— JUSTIN NATIVIDAD, Team Captain, Ateneo Blue Shuttlers
Out for redemption
The Blue Shuttlers, on the other hand, weren’t as fortunate in Season 75, ending the season one step down from the top of the podium. Though the team triumphed over National University (NU) in Season 74, the following year brought on a reversal of fortunes with NU notching a come-from-behind victory in the finals.
According to veteran player Justin Natividad, the team peaked too early in the semifinals against De La Salle University. With too much enjoyment and excitement over their wins, the Blue Shuttlers were unable to sustain their play and energy as the competition progressed. This is one of the points that the team is trying to improve on in preparation for the coming season.
The squad must also find a way to cope with the departure of their former team captain and star player, Toby Gadi. The 2012 Moro Lorenzo Sportsman of the Year will no longer be part of the team’s roster after deciding to shift his focus to the international scene.
“Of course, we were down a little bit when Toby left, but we knew that we could still win. Now, Coach [Asuncion] is more focused when it comes to keeping the team up all the time. She said that the Lord would not give this situation to us if we couldn’t handle it,” shares Justin Natividad in a mix of English and Filipino.
Despite the unfortunate turn of events, Patrick Natividad’s decision to return to the team this season allows the Blue Shuttlers to remain title contenders. He and his younger brother Justin are expected to take on leadership duties for a very young lineup that features only one other veteran, Arlo Madrid.
As the competition nears, the Blue Shuttlers are anticipating that NU, whose members play for the national team, will again be their fiercest competitors across the net. But the Ateneo teams are not letting that fact intimidate and distract them from their goal of taking back the top spot.
New breed
Given the circumstances the Blue and Lady Shuttlers are facing this season, one of the factors they deem crucial to clinching their ultimate goal is the entry of fresh talents—the rookies.
There are three young ladies gearing up to boost the Lady Shuttlers lineup. Two are Bianca Carlos and Trixie Malibiran who rank number one and two in the Pbars 19-under Girls’ Singles, respectively. The pair also ranks number one in the country in the Doubles division. Nicole Nieto, Malibiran’s doubles partner back in high school, rounds out the new crop.
For the men’s badminton team, five out of the eight players in the roster are rookies. Xavier School’s Theodore Co, Kyle Gosiako and Sean Tian and Ateneo High School’s Clarence Filart and Bryan Garrido all share the weight of the Blue Shuttlers’ task to regain the title.
Co points out that this year’s rookie class is more experienced than one would think. “We’ve been exposed to many tournaments, had many opportunities to play with one another. These guys used to be my teammates, so there’s this sense of camaraderie,” he says.
At the helm
The Blue and Lady Shuttlers have also been consistently vocal about one influential person who affects their individual and collective performances: Coach Kennie Asuncion.
A Philippine Team member and an achiever in the sport locally and internationally, Asuncion has been with the team for almost a decade now. She has taken the university’s program to new heights and witnessed the teams evolve into annual title contenders.
This season will be more challenging for Asuncion as she will be calling the shots on her own after the departure of Assistant Coach Alma Ledesma.
When asked how she thinks the team will fare this season, Coach Asuncion says, “I’m very excited coming into the season. I really look forward to it. Like I always tell them, let’s address it one at a time. Whoever our opponent is, let’s do our job first against that team. That’s all that matters, one at a time. And it will eventually lead us to where we’re supposed to be.”
Despite the loss of key personnel, this year’s rosters are determined to remain in the upper echelon of University Athletic Association of the Philippines badminton teams. With dedicated veterans, a hands-on coach and a positive disposition, the team Blue and Lady Shuttlers will begin their quest to reclaim and defend the title on August 24, 2013 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex Badminton Hall.
