Ateneo de Manila University had a chance for payback against then six-time UAAP men’s badminton champion National University in Season 85, but the latter proved to be too much for the Blue Eagles, especially during the Final.
For Arthur Salvado Jr. and the rest of the Katipunan-based side, it was a tough pill to swallow as the defeat came in the form of a sweep.
Nonetheless, the eventual captain and the rest of the team used such a hard loss as motivation for this season.
“Going into this season, we were better prepared. Last year, we were coming from the pandemic, so we were at a disadvantage compared to National University, which is composed mostly of national team players. So, we took that time to really train well for the season,” the third-year skipper said.
Preparation and motivation – two ingredients that were evident in the Blue Eagles for the season. And despite a defeat at the hands of University of the Philippines, the squad knew just what to do at the opportune time.
A huge bounce-back came on the last day of the qualifying round as Ateneo snapped the mighty 60-tie winning run of the NU Bulldogs.
From there, things fell into place for Salvado and the Blue Eagles.
“That win in the eliminations told us that we can win. So, heading into the semifinals and this Final, we had the confidence that we could pull it off,” the Jose Abad Santos Memorial School product said.
Come the Final, the Blue Eagles raced to a 2-0 lead with Salvado setting the tone in the first singles match with a 21-12, 21-7 win against Zed Monterubio.
And despite a fightback from the Bulldogs, Ateneo finally secured one against the deposed champions.
Lance Vargas fought hard and took the 10-21, 21-9, 21-13 deciding singles match – and the championship.
“One word to describe this is just, finally. Finally, we got one against them,” the 23-year-old Blue Eagle said with relief.
“I decided to come back from taking a leave of absence to train for the SEA Games with the national team. My schooling got extended, but it turned out my decision was all worth it as I finally became a champion,” he added.
Winning the championship is one thing, but taking the MVP award was something that hit Salvado differently.
“I’m very happy that despite the journey I’ve been through – there are some who do not believe I can – that I can do it and achieve what I set my eyes on,” he ended.
