The 82nd season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) tournament is fast approaching. Atenean athletes will enter another year of competition buoyed by last season’s strong performances and preparations will only intensify as the competition nears.
By the end of Season 81, the Blue and White brought home seven championships: Men’s Basketball, Women’s Volleyball, Men’s Football, Men’s and Women’s Swimming, Women’s Badminton, and Women’s Fencing. These teams will face a title defense on the horizon, while teams who fell short will hope to reach the top.
Beyond the renewal of rivalries, Ateneo can also look forward to the coming season as UAAP Season 82’s host school. Though this comes with certain responsibilities, Ateneo has an exciting opportunity to build the best possible experience for everyone involved.
Setting up success
As the host of this year’s UAAP Season, Ateneo, specifically through the University Athletics Office (UAO) is tasked to oversee four events: The Opening Ceremony, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, and the Closing Ceremony. In addition to these responsibilities, the UAO has other initiatives in place to deliver a memorable season on multiple fronts.
Season 82 will open on Sunday, September 1, 2019, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. To welcome the year, Ateneo is looking to emulate the Olympic Games’ Parade of Nations by inviting all the athletes from every UAAP school to participate in a march.
However, planning the season itself proved to be a major challenge for the UAO. Scheduling complications arose when the Philippines was selected to host the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games from November 30 to December 11, 2019, but University and SEA Games organizers remained proactive in addressing possible concerns.
According to UAO Director Emmanuel Fernandez, Judo and Fencing will be moved to the second semester, while the Track and Field competition will be moved to January, after the conclusion of the SEA Games. On the other hand, the Men’s Basketball tournament will be compressed to finish roughly a week before the Games’ opening.
Generating greater exposure for UAAP events is also a priority for the UAO this coming year, especially for sports that historically have not had their share in the national spotlight. Apart from Volleyball and Men’s Basketball, only Baseball, Softball, and Men’s Football finals games are shown on television.
“We’re planning to have Women’s Basketball shown on TV, kung hindi naman on TV, online (If we can’t show Women’s Basketball on TV, then we will show it online),” Fernandez says. “Even the championship ng Badminton gusto namin ibalik and now we’re looking also at the championship nung Table Tennis kung paano ipapalabas (We also want to bring back the championship of Badminton. We’re looking at how we can air Table Tennis championships as well).”
This initiative hopes to give athletes more opportunities for recognition and provides a boost for their motivation to compete as well. “Mas gusto nila na maglaro na maraming tao (They relish playing in front of a large crowd),” he says. “Hopefully the athletes will appreciate that we’re trying to not just highlight the main sports, but to highlight more sports.”
Last season, Ateneo won 12 of their 14 medals from sports outside of Men’s Basketball and Women’s Volleyball, and this season represents an exciting opportunity to witness the depth of talent Ateneo has to offer across multiple sports.
Competing for the school we choose
The behind-the-scenes work to orchestrate these initiatives are crucial, but audiences and athletes will keep most of their focus on the games that define each school’s season. For the Ateneans preparing to compete, hosting the UAAP adds extra fuel to their fire.
This year, the Women’s Swimming Team will be aiming for their third straight championship. Entering her final year, three-time UAAP Champion and Team Captain Raegan Gavino shared that the Lady Eagles are inspired to deliver. “We feel that it’s a chance to represent the Blue and White better than we have in the past,” said Gavino. “It’s a great opportunity to showcase how Ateneo can set the bar.”
The Lady Tankers also have a chance to field swimmers for the national team in this year’s SEA Games. The last qualifying tournament for the roster is the Philippine Open which is slated for August.
While these opportunities drum up a lot of excitement, hosting a competition of this magnitude places a different kind of pressure on the athletes. UAAP Season 81’s Badminton queens will face the challenge of dealing with that added pressure. Team Captain Chanelle Lunod shared that it could be the key to retaining the crown. “The team knows that being the host means a lot, but we try our best not to let that pressure us,” said Lunod. “For now, all we’re doing is trying our best to prepare well for our season.”
Perhaps most importantly, hosting the UAAP reminds athletes that they compete for something greater than themselves. The Women’s Volleyball team enters this season determined to defend their title, and for graduating wing spiker Ponggay Gaston, hosting offers her team one more reason to band together. “Hosting the UAAP reminds us of the school we represent and the name printed on the front of our jerseys,” she said. Echoing the thoughts of her fellow Lady Eagles, she said that their intensity and desire to win will not waver. “Every year we want to win and make the Ateneo proud,” added Gaston.
To make a statement to the rest of the UAAP and its national audience, Ateneo’s excellence behind the scenes will matter just as much as the outcome of each game. In hosting the UAAP, the University has a chance to realize a vision for a bigger, better season for athletes and audiences alike. With a number of initiatives to look forward to, this season has all the makings of a landmark year in the world of Ateneo sports.
