SEASON 79 of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) told a tale of hardship and heartbreak for the Ateneo Men’s and Women’s Badminton teams, as they were deprived of the crown yet again as silver medalists in their respective categories.
With their eyes set on the podium, both teams dominated the round-robin stages and climbed up the ladder, setting up simultaneous finals matchups against the National University (NU) and the University of the Philippines (UP). A series of intense team-ties, however, saw NU and UP ultimately extend their championship streaks to three years in the men’s and women’s divisions of the tournament, respectively, with the golden finish narrowly eluding Ateneo’s grasp yet again.
The previous season represents a big step in the right direction for both Ateneo teams, with the men’s team garnering their first silver after two consecutive bronze medals in prior seasons, and the women’s team giving powerhouse UP a run for their money with a final team-tie score of 1-2. Having come close, but never near enough to score gold for their school, the teams are looking to go the extra mile to change the tide in the league as the new season draws nearer.
On the path to success
Since settling for silver, the shuttlers have been hard at work, training twice a day in the off-season to maintain their top physical form. In addition to their intense training schedule, the Blue Eagles participated in a number of tournaments over the summer including the Frederick D. Go (FDG) Badminton Cup in June.
Represented by Keoni Asuncion, Clarence Filart, Sean Chan, Emilio Mangubat, Fides Bagasbas, Patrick Gecosala, Anton Vargas, Hanz Bernardo, and current team captain Carlo Remo at the FDG Cup, the team gained invaluable experience and exposure by playing against stalwarts from here and abroad–boosting their winning mentality as they head into a new campaign.
With UAAP Season 80 fast approaching, former team captain Sean Chan asserts that the goal of finally taking home the crown ultimately rests on each player’s confidence in his abilities. “We need to improve our mindset that we can take down the powerhouse NU team. [The team] has been dominating the men’s division for three years,” says Chan. “For it to be a reality, we must first believe that it’s possible.”
With team captain Remo, reigning Rookie of the Year Asuncion, and veterans Filart and Chan, the shuttlers are certainly right in the mix for the coveted championship that has been enforcing a sense of discipline both on and off the court.
Raring to go
A similar story goes for the Lady Eagles who tasted victory after winning the first team-tie of the finals, only to lose the next two and succumb to yet another defeat at the hands of three-time consecutive champions UP. However, last season’s loss only fueled the team’s aspirations to settle for nothing but gold.
To achieve this goal, the Lady Eagles have been productive throughout the off-season, keeping fit and in tiptop shape while refining their skills with the racket as they train day-in and day-out with their male counterparts. Although the team has met its goal in terms of physicality and skill-level, Carlos believes that the team can still sharpen its mentality as a unit.
“The team is training harder this year,” shares Carlos. “We are individually strong physically, but I think [we can still] improve on our mentality as a team inside the court, [which] will be a good advantage against the other teams next season.”
The majority of the team also had the opportunity to gain vital competitive experience during the FDG Cup, with Season 79 Rookie of the Year Chanelle Lunod and nationally-capped shuttler Geva de Vera making a statement in the Women’s Doubles category, alongside Carlos who took the overall gold.
“The team improved in this year’s FDG Cup, [and] the whole team performed great,” comments Carlos. “Majority of the team reached the quarterfinals, and it’s a good start to gauge the team’s level of play [ahead of the season].”
Bouncing back
With both Blue and Lady Eagles at the height of physical fitness as evidenced by strong showings back in June, an air of readiness, determination, and hunger lingers around the locker room. Looking to unseat the rulers of the collegiate badminton court next season, the teams know that the championship is theirs for the taking.
With the upcoming season proving to be the end of the tracks for some players, Carlos and her fellow seniors yearn to end their Ateneo playing career on a high note–with the trophy back in Loyola Heights.
“It’s sad and disappointing that the team lost some of its key players, but nothing has changed,” says Carlos. “The team is still hungry for the gold, [and] I am hopeful that we will step up and finish with exactly that.”
