UST judokas secure record 15th men’s title
UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas completed its redemption campaign by securing a record 15th men’s title, while University of the East extended its women’s reign to four seasons at the close of the UAAP judo tournament on Sunday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
National team standout Troy Estrella delivered a crucial performance for the Tiger Judokas, fending off a significant comeback from last season’s champion University of the Philippines. He retained the gold medal in the minus-66 kg category, defeating Jandrei Sotto in the all-UST final.
The 22-year-old, who also competes in sambo for the national team, completed his impressive run to the MVP plum with a swift tai-otoshi against his training partner in just seven seconds.
“Natutuwa ako for UST na naibalik namin ‘tong championship na pinaghirapan naming players. Nanggaling kami sa tough loss from last year from being straight champions. Ngayon na nakapag-come back kami, we’re very happy po,” Estrella said.
“’Itong MVP na ito was added na pampasaya lang sa akin, pero ang goal ko is makatulong na mapag-champion ‘yung team. At ‘yung naman ang goal naming lahat, ‘yung mag-champion.”
Meanwhile, the Lady Warriors successful retained the women’s throne with a dominant performance on the second and final day.
Graduating senior Ma. Veneza Dayao led the heavyweights on the second day, building on the success achieved by the eventual MVP Leah Jhane Lopez on the opening day.
Rather than facing a significant comeback from runners-up UST, UE brushed off the late charges from the other competing teams.
Dayao sealed the championship with a victory over her sparring partner, Aescie Anne Ramos in the minus-70 kg final. This 1-2 finish widened the lead, as Nicole Habierto and Krystanna Resente also reached the finals in the minus-78 kg and minus-63 kg categories, respectively.
These results were bolstered by Lopez (minus-48 kg), Season 85 standout Joemari-Heart Rafael (minus-57 kg), and graduating Mylene Matias (minus-44 kg) who all secured golds on Day 1, along with Jhen Rose Mae Obeja, who earned a bronze in the minus-57 kg.
“Kahapon (Saturday) po kasi puro rookies ‘yung mga kasama naming lumaro, pero siyempre ngayong second day, (ang naglaro is) most of the seniors na talagang mga kasabayan din po. Thankful po ako sa kanila kasi hindi po sila nag-give up and hindi nila kami iniwan. At ginawa nila ‘yung part nila para makuha namin tong four-peat,” said Lopez.
“Kami po kasi sa UE, it’s not just a team, it’s like a family po. And iba po ‘yung culture na nabuo namin sa UE; andon po talaga ‘yung respect and discipline. And also sa training po, support system po talaga namin ‘yung isa’t isa,” she added.
This winning culture and collaborative effort also led to the school’s first-ever double victory in the high school division, marking a triple crown for the Recto-based side in the sport.
The Tiger Judokas were the last program to win three out of the four championships at stake, achieving a men’s and high school double in Season 85 in 2022.
UE coach Rodimple Rodriguez noted the challenges faced by the team, saying, “Sobrang hirap ng pinagdaanan namin as in one year kaming nag-training straight. And kumbaga ‘yung training namin from last year sinagad pa namin kasi last (season) nga, kinabahan pa kami ‘eh. Ang akala namin masusulot kami pero at least hindi naman. So, ngayong taon, in-upgrade pa namin ‘yung training namin.”
“’Yung iba nga sinabihan ko na OK lang hindi na kayo maglaro, marami naman tayong bagong players. Pero siguro ‘yun ‘yung magandang na-instill namin sa kanila — yung love for the team and love for the school. Kumbaga wala naman na silang dapat patunayan eh, pero dahil mahal nila ‘yung UE, bumalik sila para makapag-champion uli.”
