WITH THE University Athletic Association of the Philippines Chess tournament down to its last few rounds, the Ateneo Blue and Lady Eagles both fell to the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and the De La Salle University (DLSU), respectively, on Sunday, March 13 at the Henry Sy Sr. Hall in DLSU, Manila.

The blue woodpushers finished the 13th round with a 1-3 loss against the Growling Tigers. Team Captain Jem Garcia said that although he faced little resistance in winning his own match, he observed and understood the struggle of his teammates as they faced their strong opponents. Garica said that with the team sitting in seventh place in the standings, they will “just have fun with it” when going into their last round of the tournament.

On the other hand, Lady Eagle Annelle Chua states that the Women’s team gave their all during their 13th round matchup. However, it was not enough to beat the league-leading DLSU Lady Archers on their home turf. But even with another 0-4 loss, the Lady Eagles still remain hopeful for their last game against the Adamson University (AdU) in the final round.

“We’re not giving up,” said Lady Eagle Gabrielle Ablang. She also adds how their coach, Michael Gotel, continues to train hard with the team and keep their hopes up for future tournaments and matches.

The fourteenth and final round of the tournament will be at 1PM, Saturday, March 19 at the Henry Sy Sr. Hall in DLSU, Manila, where the Blue Eagles will be competing for sixth place against the University of the East, while the Lady Eagles will be competing for seventh place against AdU.