Ateneo de Manila University stakes its double crown as the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Badminton Championships open on Saturday at Gameville Central Park in Mandaluyong City, featuring a new team competition format designed to make the tournament more competitive.
The Blue Eagles are out to defend their men’s title and capture their sixth championship in the division after breaking their tie with the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons last season. They will also aim for a second consecutive women’s crown after fending off first-time finalists National University Lady Bulldogs last year.
The team event will still follow a single round-robin format, with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals. The top-ranked squad will face the fourth seed, while the second-ranked team takes on the third. All ties in the knockout stage will be do-or-die.
Both Ateneo squads will be without their longtime captains, Lyrden Laborte and Mika De Guzman, but will look to Robby Ramos and Lance Vargas in the men’s division, and Althea Ocampo and Rio Fuentespina in the women’s division to lead the way as they navigate the new format.
Aside from the team competition, which will retain its traditional five-match tie, the championships will introduce separate singles and doubles knockout competitions at its conclusion. The additional events aim to maximize the participation of student-athletes on each roster while providing member universities that cannot field complete teams an opportunity to compete.
The singles and doubles knockout competitions will also be introduced in this season’s UAAP table tennis and tennis championships.
Ateneo head coach Kennie Asuncion-Robles welcomed the changes, challenging her players to maintain a high level of performance as they pursue another successful campaign.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Anything new comes with the challenge of facing the unknown. But I choose to approach it the same way I always remind my team: whether we’re adjusting to a new format or losing key players, what matters is that we give our best, make our own mark, and always remember that we’re doing it for the team,” said Asuncion-Robles, who also serves as the Philippine Badminton Association’s national program director.
The Blue Eagles open their campaign against Adamson University, with the men’s match scheduled for 8 a.m. and the women’s tie set for 1 p.m.
NU, meanwhile, is determined to reclaim the men’s crown with the addition of Smash Pilipinas standout Clarence Villaflor to an already formidable lineup featuring MJ Perez and two-time MVP Lanz Zafra.
The Fighting Maroons will lean on MIA Badminton Cup men’s singles champion Shan Clar and Arjay Lazareto to keep their title hopes alive despite the absence of reigning three-time national champion Jelo Albo.
On the women’s side, Sab Amora and Karyll Rio will spearhead NU’s bid to reach the summit after the Lady Bulldogs made history last season by reaching the Finals for the first time in school history.
Season 86 Rookie of the Year Pat De Leon, formerly of University of Santo Tomas, is set to return to the league. She will bolster the Fighting Maroons, which retained a strong core featuring Season 87 MVP Anthea Gonzalez and Susmita Ramos as they pursue an 11th women’s championship.
NU will face De La Salle University in both divisions, with the men’s tie at 8 a.m. and the women’s match at 1 p.m.
UP, meanwhile, takes on UST in the men’s division at 8 a.m. before De Leon faces her former university in the women’s competition at 1 p.m.
