The UP Women’s 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’s Badminton Tournament Finals.
Held on Oct. 30 at the <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2024/10/mika-de-guzman-lyrden-laborte-ready-to-lead-ateneos-uaap-badminton-title-defenses/" title="Mika De Guzman, Lyrden Laborte ready to lead Ateneo's UAAP Badminton title defenses”>Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall in Manila, the UP Women’s 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’s Susmita Ramos succumbed to ADMU’s reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) Mika De Guzman, 21-18, 8-21, 21-23.
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’s Maxene Olango, 21-5, 21-7.
Leveled at one match each, UP’s 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’s Badminton Team, UP’s 10th women’s badminton championship in the UAAP.
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).
“We all sacrificed to win this championship. They all gave their hearts to get this championship, because they haven’t gotten it in a long time. Everyone worked hard for this, so maybe this is their reward,” said first-year UP Women’s Badminton Team‘s head coach Ariel Magnaye. Magnaye was a champion player for the University of Santo Tomas and the National University.
For their part, the UP Men’s 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’s individual award, UP’s Shan Clar was named the Men’s Badminton Rookie of the Year.—With a report from the UAAP Media Team
