TAG TEAM. Juniors Clarence Bondoc and team captain Erwin Gavino will be representing the Blue Paddlers in the doubles events of the UAAP Table Tennis tournament. Photo by Miguel R. Santiago.

MANY TEAMS derive their strength from victories and tales of unfolding glory. The Ateneo Paddlers, however, draw their vigor directly from their unquenchable thirst to win.

Last Season, the Blue Paddlers, led by former Team Captain Pierre Jacinto, bested NU and Adamson University for a steady first round with a 2-4 win-loss record. However, as the team entered the second round, they lost successively, except to NU, falling to seventh place with a final record of 3-11.

The Lady Paddlers notched a 2-4 record after the first round as well. Redemption graced the ladies in blue by the second round when they defeated team after team. Unfortunately, the season ended for them with a frustrating 6-6 record, one point shy of a final four spot.

Despite a bittersweet Season 74, however, the Ateneo Paddlers are returning with a determined mindset for Season 75.

Lady Paddlers

After the departure of veteran and resident power player Charmaine de Jesus, one may say that the Lady Paddlers will have difficulty this year. They also lost last year’s rookie Nikki Publico due to academic reasons. “It’s a shame that we lost her, but we all look forward to her return to Ateneo next year,” said Head Coach Floyd Lobaton.

Sophomore Allysa Balanzat also admitted that it was a great loss to the team, but remained positive. “Even if we have losses, we still have [Clarice Manuel], Nikki Dizon and myself,” commented Balanzat.

Clarice Manuel will be leading a young Lady Paddlers team with her steady yet powerful playing style. Dizon, who improved greatly last season but missed the latter part of it due to dengue, will return to do damage in the singles or doubles event. The same goes for Balanzat, who is only in her second year in the UAAP. Meanwhile, prized rookies Jane Dela Cruz and Lexine Uy will add more firepower for the ladies in blue this season.

Blue Paddlers

Emerging from last year’s season with only three dedicated veterans left in the team, the Blue Paddlers have it hard this year. “We only have three returning players and five new recruits,” said Team Captain Erwin Gavino.

The Paddlers also cannot neglect the fact that powerhouses UP, La Salle and UST have also become even better this year. However, Gavino trusts that the men’s team is capable of acquiring a higher rank this season. Junior Mihali Crisostomo has greatly improved his singles game and will look to smash competition in the tables. The other returning player is last year’s power rookie, Karl Uy, who made a strong case for last year’s Rookie of the Year award as he bested veteran opponents with his speed and power.

Training hard

Understanding that his team may not be as experienced as their other UAAP counterparts, Lobaton is even more determined to train and condition his players more vigorously.

He has been bringing in professional trainers in training sessions to help the Paddlers improve on their game. “We’re spending P14,000 to P16,000 a month for these trainers,” said Lobaton, adding that the money comes from longtime team sponsor, UniWoodPly. “Last year’s performance by the women’s team showed that we are able to prepare them to compete well in just a few months.”

Aside from this, Lobaton also organizes tune up games and mini-tournaments for the Paddlers held on weekends or certain days of the week. “Playing with other teams often will help us prepare for the competition in the UAAP,” he said. Last June, Lobaton entered the Lady Paddlers in the Philippine National Games in Dumaguete. There, Manuel, Balanzat and Dizon won bronze for Ateneo.

Lobaton said that the other UAAP teams are composed of roughly 90% regional players who have played and won in the Palarong Pambansa. That is why the Ateneo Paddlers have always found it difficult to win.

Mixed feelings

Sophomores Balanzat and Dominique Dizon shared the same sentiments, when they both revealed that they were nervous for the upcoming season. Manuel, however, feels otherwise, as she is quite confident and excited for her team and the upcoming season. “There is always a chance to make it to the semis,” said Manuel, who has no doubts that the Lady Paddlers will rattle the other teams and possibly bag a medal in the process.

For the Blue Paddlers, Gavino admitted that he is hesitant to face the new season with only three veteran players in the line-up. However, he and his teammates are committed to working hard and playing to win. Lobaton, meanwhile, is not worried. “We are always counted as underdogs every year,” he shared. “But we surprise top teams every year, too.”

It’s not about the “win”

For Lobaton, winning is really not the issue. “I can’t say they’ll beat them all, because that’s unrealistic. I can say however, that I’ll train them so that their physical, mental, and emotional skills will be equal to that of their UAAP opponents,” explained Lobaton in a mix of Filipino and English.

“They must believe in themselves,” he said. He believes the experiences will provide new motivation for the team, one that reveals to the players that they are truly capable and deserving.

The struggle is evident, but it does not pose any threat to the team’s finesse and morale. Manuel shared that she is actually more driven by the thought of beating seemingly “better” players. “They say we can’t beat other teams, but we shall see about that,” Manuel said.

The UAAP Table Tennis Tournament starts this September for the Paddlers, with the first round on the 22nd and 23rd, the second round on the 29th and 30th, and the final rounds on October 3 and 4.