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Lady Maroons Shuttlers is UAAP Season 87 champion

By: Benito V. Sanvictores Jr. | November 04, 2024 | UPDate Online - Students | 3 min read

The UP Women鶹Ƶ Badminton Team has dethroned the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Lady Shuttlers with a 3-1 victory at the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 Women鶹Ƶ Badminton Tournament Finals.

UP Women鶹Ƶ Badminton Team with UP Office for Athletics and Sports Development Director Bo Perasol (right). Photo from the UAAP Media Team

Held on Oct. 30 at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall in Manila, the UP Women鶹Ƶ Badminton Team brought UP its first gold medal this UAAP season.

The five-match final began with a heart-pumping 97-minute first singles match, where UP鶹Ƶ Susmita Ramos succumbed to ADMU鶹Ƶ reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) Mika De Guzman, 21-18, 8-21, 21-23.

Ramos (smashing position) and Libaton in their doubles match. Photo from the UAAP Media Team

The second singles match saw eventual MVP Anthea Gonzalez of UP convincingly stopping the five-peat bid of ADMU with an overwhelming win over ADMU鶹Ƶ Maxene Olango, 21-5, 21-7.

Gonzalez (smashing position) and Lao in their doubles match. Photo from the UAAP Media Team

Leveled at one match each, UP鶹Ƶ Ramos and Dianne Libaton rose to the challenge of retrieving the crown by fending off De Guzman and Althea Ocampo in two sets, 21-13, 21-19, setting up the clinching match for the Lady Maroons Shuttlers.

Gonzalez and Kimberly Lao thwarted efforts of Lady Eagles Shuttlers Olango and Feeby Ferrer to level the finals by winning a nail-biting match, 21-19, 21-19, and ultimately winning the gold for the UP Women鶹Ƶ Badminton Team, UP鶹Ƶ 10th women鶹Ƶ badminton championship in the UAAP.

(From left) Perasol and Gonzalez. Photo from the UAAP Media Team

The Lady Maroons Shuttlers’ last win was during their three-peat run from Season 77 (Academic Year / AY 2014-2015) to Season 79 (AY 2016-2017).

“Lahat kami nag-sacrifice para makamit itong kampeonato na ito. Lahat sila binigay iyong puso para makuha nila itong championship na ito, kasi matagal na nilang hindi nakukuha. Lahat nag-work hard para rito, kaya siguro ito iyong reward sa kanila,” said first-year UP Women鶹Ƶ Badminton Team鶹Ƶ head coach Ariel Magnaye. Magnaye was a champion player for the University of Santo Tomas and the National University.

(From left) Perasol and the UP Men鶹Ƶ Badminton Team. Photo from the UAAP Media Team

For their part, the UP Men鶹Ƶ Badminton Team notched a second runner-up finish with a commanding win over the UST Growling Tigers Shuttlers, three matches to nil. Aside from Gonzalez鶹Ƶ individual award, UP鶹Ƶ Shan Clar was named the Men鶹Ƶ Badminton Rookie of the Year.—With a report from the UAAP Media Team

(From left) Perasol and Clar. Photo from the UAAP Media Team
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