De La Salle University Lady Paddler Emy Rose Dael nabbed the spotlight in the UAAP season 78 Women’s Table Tennis tournament as she grabbed the victory in the last match to be able to defend the crown.
In the girl from Bacolod, the DLSU community garnered another star player in the making. Before coming to the Green and White squad, she had already made a mark in national and international events. But despite her experiences, she feels she still has much to learn.
According to Dael, even if she has already played with the team in the Philippine National Games, she still gets rookie jitters playing for DLSU at the collegiate level. She even admitted it was slightly tough to adapt since some of her former teammates are now her opponents. But it was not long until she gained confidence with the DLSU squad. “Ibang-iba yung pressure dito, ang daming nagccheer at nanonood dito eh,” she explained. “Before kasi pwedeng umikot (in the line up), dito isa lang talaga, ‘pag nasa taas yung laro ko, siyempre push talaga kasi hindi na yun mababawi, bigay lang lahat lagi kapag naglalaro”.
Despite the pressure of playing in the singles matches, she always tries to overcome her fear and stay focused in her games. For Dael, it was a dream come true to play for the DLSU crowd, which is why she gives back by winning every game. As the last player for the championship game, all eyes were on her as she beat her opponent in the fifth set. “Nakakaoverwhelm (to play for the team), lagi kong iniisip na last na ‘to at dapat tapusin ko na,”
According to team captain Ian Lariba, Dael is the girl that the fans have to look out for in the coming years, especially now that she’s been lauded as Rookie of the Year. Asked to make a comment about this, Dael humbly replied, “Siyempre Ate Yan will serve bilang inspiration sa’min, at ipagpapatuloy namin ang nasimulan niya”. Doubtlessly, Dael’s name will also reign in the next seasons of UAAP Table Tennis competition.
