IT’S NOT everyday that an athlete is given the opportunity to represent one’s country. Every so often, a few are chosen to don the national colors and battle it out with the best and the brightest athletes from around the globe.

A number of Atenean athletes were given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of representing the Philippines in the biennial Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) University Games held last December in Palembang, Indonesia. The Ateneo Lady Eagles, together with Blue and Lady Tankers Jessie Lacuna and Hannah Dato, flew to Indonesia with the Philippine contingent to represent the three stars and the sun. The 11-nation tournament featured the best collegiate athletes within the ASEAN region across 20 sporting events to battle it out for regional athletic supremacy.

Bagging the bronze

By virtue of their historic University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 76 championship run, the Lady Eagles were chosen to represent the country in the volleyball event, which pitted them against Asian powerhouse squads such as Thailand and Indonesia. Despite the higher level of competition, the Lady Eagles still managed to place third in the tournament.

Team Captain Alyssa Valdez pointed out that the ultimate advantage of these squads was the preparation and conditioning of the players, which ultimately led them to secure the gold and silver medals. “The opponents we faced [were] international players, and they’ve been playing for most of their lives and they’re really self-disciplined, [and they’re] very fit and healthy,” Valdez shares in a mix of English and Filipino on the opponents they were competing against. Their experience served as a wake-up call for the ladies on how much they still lacked when it comes to conditioning.

Setter Jia Morado feels that the bronze medal victory was certainly unexpected by the entire team. “Alam namin na malakas ‘yong competition like Thailand and Indonesia (We know that competition like Thailand and Indonesia are strong),” she says. But the team’s persistence and hard work led to their international triumph.

Morado adds that the level of preparation they had to go through was raised a notch higher: “Pinahirapan talaga kami ni Coach Tai kasi sabi niya, kaya raw talaga manalo dito, kahit third place lang nga (Coach Tai made it hard for us because he said we can really win here, even if it’s just third place).”

To add to their underdog run, most members of the team were comprised of players who only made their international debut during the University Games. Valdez and Dennise Lazaro are the only players who are currently in the roster for the Philippine National Team. Despite this, the Lady Eagles pushed themselves harder for all of the graduating players. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity—the others will graduate already—and hopefully that will be our gift to each other,” shares Valdez in a mix of English and Filipino.

Photos courtesy of Jessie Lacuna and Hannah Dato

Medal hungry

On the other hand, Blue and Lady Tankers Jessie Lacuna and Hannah Dato came into the ASEAN University games to represent the Philippines. These athletes went into the competition to bring out their best as individuals and as Philippine national athletes.

For Lacuna, he simply wanted to bring home medals, with personal bests at the back of his mind. “I really didn’t care about my time because in the Ateneo community, they don’t really understand the time,” says the Olympian in a mix of English and Filipino. Despite his first stint in the biennial meet, Lacuna is not a stranger to international tilts. He has grown used to the intense level of competition when competing abroad given his experience in the Olympics.

Despite the familiarity with the playing field, Lacuna’s first day of competition was a heartbreaker for the Olympian. “In my first event, I lost for bronze by 0.4 seconds. I then thought that I still have 10 events left,” Lacuna shares in a mix of English and Filipino on his mindset of the early setback. On the second day of competition, Lacuna bounced back as he secured the gold medal in the 200-meter freestyle.

Although Lacuna is known as a decorated athlete, the real highlight of the University Games for the men’s UAAP Most Valuable Player (MVP) was the bronze medal finish of their relay event. In an unusual turn of events, a team got disqualified, which opened the doors for the Philippine squad to sneak in and secure a podium finish. This was a special moment for Lacuna, as it was the first international medal of the other members of the team. He adds that it was an honor for him to be part of the team that received their first medal despite it being just a bronze.

Personal drive

Dato came to Indonesia with the mindset of beating her personal records above anything else. Being aware of the high level of competition, particularly with the veterans from other nations, Dato didn’t expect to bag medals. “I told myself that as long as I come up with good performances and if I break all my personal bests, then I’d be happy with it,” Dato shares in a mix of English and Filipino.

But Dato shocked the competition, garnering seven medals—three golds, two silvers and two bronzes—despite swimming against Olympians and Southeast Asian Games medalists. Dato was even dubbed the “new face of swimming” by her fellow swimmers because of her prowess in the water.

Although she entered the competition with the intention of improving herself as a swimmer, her pride for the country stood out for the women’s UAAP Most Valuable Player. “I’m happy and overwhelmed because it’s part of my dream to represent the country and the school in international events,” Dato says in a mix of English and Filipino.

She speaks for the athletes who competed in the event when she says that the honor is truly something else. “The feeling feels great especially if you won the gold, then in the awarding, they raise the flag of your country while the national anthem plays and everyone stands up and pays respect to your country.”