THE ATENEO Blue Eagles reclaimed championship glory in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 Men’s Badminton Tournament, clinching their second title in three years after dominating the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, 3-0. The championship match took place earlier today, October 22, at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall in the City of Manila. 

The Blue Eagles finished the tournament spotless, sweeping through the elimination rounds and playoffs en route to their first championship since Season 86.  

Up first in the Finals, prized rookie JR Pandi faced Fighting Maroon Jelol Albo. The back-and-forth first set showed the Blue Eagles holding a slim advantage, 5-4, following Pandi’s service ace. 

Capitalizing on his opponent’s inaccurate shots, Pandi extended his advantage to 11-7. However, the rookie’s momentum slowly derailed, as Albo’s aggressive attacking front cut the Ateneo lead, 13-11. Unrelenting in his pursuit, Pandi’s consecutive smashes restored his momentum, 19-13, effectively cruising his way to a first set victory, 21-15. 

The onset of the second set saw another tight affair between the Katipunan neighbors, 5-5. Exchanging rallies and points, Pandi delivered with a forecourt hammer to create distance, 12-9. Yet, UP’s Albo continued to battle, answering back with a run of his own to snatch the lead from Ateneo, 14-15.

With the two teams going back-and-forth until the end, 19-19, Pandi executed his signature jump smash to reclaim the lead, 20-19. One point away from securing the Blue Eagles’ first team point of the day, the freshman’s precise dropshot sealed the deal in the second set, 21-19. 

Stepping onto the court for the second singles match, veteran shuttler Lyrden Laborte met UP’s Kervin Llanes. The Blue Eagle faced an early uphill battle as Llanes surged to a 5-point advantage, 4-9. Undeterred, Laborte stayed composed, tightening his defense and adjusting to UP’s rhythm to close the gap. A brief reprieve came when an attack from Llanes went out of bounds, giving Ateneo a chance to regroup. 

Seizing the opportunity, Laborte found his rhythm midway through the set, stringing together long rallies and decisive shots that slowly but surely chipped away at the deficit. His steady and composed placements allowed the Blue Eagles to climb back into contention, locking the game at 14-14.

Both players refused to yield as they exchanged fierce rallies. However, despite Laborte’s determination to surge ahead, Llanes managed to pull away in the closing moments, sealing UP’s first set of the day, 17-21. 

Opening the second set of the second singles match, Laborte came out determined to mount a comeback for Ateneo. Channeling his focus, the shuttler drew first blood after UP went out of bounds, giving him the first point of the set, 1-0. 

From there, Laborte took full control of the tempo. Staying composed and consistent through long rallies while also dictating the flow of exchanges. With sharp smashes, the Blue Eagle powered through to a commanding 6-0 advantage before UP could find its footing. Despite the Fighting Maroons’ bid to close the gap, Laborte consistently kept Ateneo in front, maintaining a steady 9-5 lead.  

Laborte refused to relinquish dominance, keeping a firm grip on the lead as the set progressed. Even after UP’s attempts to close the deficit, Laborte’s composure became undeniable as he pulled ahead 19-14, inching Ateneo to forcing a deciding third set. 

An attempted push shot from Llanes failed to make it past the net, handing Ateneo a match point, 20-15. On the next rally, a deep return from Llanes sailed just outside the baseline, clinching the set in favor of the Blue Eagles, 21-15. 

The deciding third set opened with a grueling rally that tested both players’ endurance before Laborte broke through to score the first point, 1-0. From that moment on, the Blue Eagle took full command of the court. 

Displaying remarkable control, Laborte built a strong and consistent lead, 18-8, refusing to give the Fighting Maroons any room to recover. In the final exchanges, Laborte’s persistence paid off once UP faltered under pressure. With a calculated shot that drove Llanes to an error, Laborte sealed the victory at 21-8, completing his comeback and delivering Ateneo’s second team point of the finals series, 2-0. 

One team point away from reclaiming the championship, the Blue and White trotted out the rookie-senior tandem of Pandi and Pingkoy Salvado to face UP’s Albo and Mark Anthony Bernal.

Entrusted to bring home the gold, Salvado displayed his class and experience, pushing Ateneo to an early 3-0 lead. While Salvado controlled the pace, Pandi’s power dominated the match, 11-7. 

The Fighting Maroons, however, would battle back, dwindling the Blue Eagle lead to one, 12-11. As the two teams traded costly errors, the Blue and White duo held a slight lead, 18-16. Following a 4-2 run from the Maroons, the two teams found themselves deadlocked, 20-all.

In the tensest of moments, veteran Salvado’s experience shined through, putting the Blue Eagles at set point, 23-22. Delivering once again for Ateneo, Salvado’s strong attack forced the Fighting Maroons into a final miscue, 24-22.

With the championship within their grasp, the Blue Eagle pairing once again took a slight lead in the opening stages of the second set, 4-3. Continuing to show their perseverance and grit, the squad from Katipunan outlasted their adversaries in multiple rallies, extending their lead, 8-6. 

Multiple drop shots from Pandi heightened the Ateneo momentum, as the Blue Eagle faithful in the arena exploded with delight, 15-9. With emotions filling the arena, Salvado and Pandi rode their hot streak, taking advantage of their opponent’s error-laden play to arrive at match point, 20-11.

Now, only one point away from clinching the championship, Salvado’s final attack in the UAAP was not returned by the Fighting Maroons, clinching Ateneo’s Season 88 crown, 21-11. 

Graduating stalwart Salvado expressed his joy after securing the championship in his final year. “I feel happy and fulfilled, because I was able to win the championship in my final year together with my teammates. Medyo matagal tagal na yung stay ko [in the Ateneo], but it made it more worth it,” shared the ever-reliable star. 

(I feel happy and fulfilled, because I was able to win the championship in my final year together with my teammates. My stay in Ateneo has been quite long, but it made it more worth it.)

Meanwhile, Team Captain Laborte remained thankful to the Ateneo community throughout their journey back to the top. He expressed, “Thank you to the Ateneo community. Keep on supporting the Ateneo Men’s Badminton Team, and this win is for the Ateneo, OBF!” 

After completing the road back to the championship, the Ateneo Men’s Badminton Team has officially reached their goal this season, and will look to build a dynasty moving forward for Season 89 and many seasons to come. 

Team-tie Score:

Ateneo-UP: 3-0

Results:

First Singles: Pandi (Ateneo) def. Albo (UP), 21-15, 21-19

Second Singles: Laborte (Ateneo) def. Llanes (UP), 17-21, 21-15, 21-8

First Doubles: Pandi & Salvado (Ateneo) def. Albo & Bernal (UP), 24-22, 21-11