UST raises its 30th UAAP men’s table tennis championship after completing a four-peat in Season 86. UAAP photo
UST annexes league-best 30th table tennis crown
UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas annexed a league-best 30th men’s championship, while La Salle clinched back-to-back titles in the women’s side at the close of the UAAP table tennis tournament yesterday at the Amoranto Arena.
The Tiger Paddlers completed a four-peat in convincing fashion, beating Ateneo, 2-0, to extend their remarkable streak to 30 dating back to the Season 82 Finals in 2019.
The Taft-based Lady Paddlers, meanwhile, posted a 2-0 sweep of fabled rival Ateneo to capture their eighth tiara.
“Masayang-masaya tayo and with this four-peat, we’ve just proven na talagang matibay ‘yung team natin and all throughout hindi tayo sumuko,” long-time UST head coach Jackscon Que said.
“Yung team remained grounded all throughout, ‘yun namin yung pinapaalala ko lagi sa team. kasi everything starts from zero parati,” he added.
The Tiger Paddlers’ John Michael Castro bagged the season MVP honors, while Andree Garcia of the Blue Eagles went home with the Rookie of the Year plum.
For long-time La Salle mentor Lauro Crisostomo, it was a product of his wards’ determination to keep the women’s crown in Taft.
The Lady Paddlers were tested by the Blue Eagles, who matched their best finish in the event in 2019, before retaining the throne.
“Itong championship kumbaga si God na ang naging bahala kung destiny namin na mag-champion, pero nakita niyo naman mahirap ang pinagdaanan namin. ‘Yung Ateneo team binigay din nila yung pinaka-100 percent nila, kaya happy ako na yung players ko binigay rin yung best nila kanina,” said Crisostomo.
La Salle’s Angel Laude emerged as the season MVP, while Ateneo’s Jelaine Monteclaro took the Rookie of the Year award.
