It took a year of anticipation, but Paul Cham’s debut season in the Ateneo Men’s Taekwondo Team was worth the wait.
The blue jin originally enrolled in San Beda College Mendiola straight out of his alma mater, University of Santo Tomas High School, but eventually transferred to Loyola Heights back in 2016. Because of this, Cham had to serve a year of residency before suiting up for the Blue Eagles in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).
When he finally fought for the Blue and White in the UAAP Season 80 Men’s Taekwondo Championships, his prowess on the mats was evident. Cham’s bursts of speed and relentlessness allowed him to dispatch many of his opponents with ease, winning all but two of his matches in the process.
Despite the sixth place finish for the blue jins in the three-day tournament, Cham was the only member of the squad to garner an individual accolade. His standout performance earned himself a bronze medal in the Bantamweight division.
[Third Match]
The relentless Paul Cham (Blue) salvages a point for the Blue Eagles, 19-11!
Ateneo 1 FEU 2#UAAPTaekwondo pic.twitter.com/9SrGBZigBc
— Kirby G. Jalandoni (@Kirby_TheGUIDON) November 17, 2017
Cham’s experience in the sport made his remarkable rookie year performance unsurprising. In high school, he once bagged a bronze medal in the Asian Junior Championships tournament in Taiwan, competing against different fighters across Asia.
He also won a gold medal in the National Carlos Palanca Jr. Interschool Taekwondo Championships in August, which featured several Taekwondo national team members in his weight class–all of whom Cham defeated.
His rookie experience extends off the mats as well. Cham did what he could to lead the team despite being a newbie.
“‘Di ko feel ‘yung pagiging freshie kasi nagle-lead din ako kahit papaano sa team (I do not feel like a freshman in the sense that I do what I can to lead the team),” Cham says.
“Noong high school ako, sanay din ako ‘yung nagpu-push sa mga teammates ko. Mino-motivate ko sila (When I was in high school, I was used to being the one who pushed and motivated my teammates).”
Cham’s exceptional rookie season cemented his place as one of the the premier kyorugi fighters in the UAAP. With a new batch of blue jins due to come next season, Cham may end up as the face of a reinvigorated Ateneo Men’s Taekwondo program.
