Jan Vincent Lanuza, News, Communication Management Office
111 student-athletes fought head-to-head with representatives from 32 other universities and colleges nationwide securing the championship at the 25th University Games (UNIGAMES) held on January 21-27, 2024 at Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte. Our Atleta ng Bayan (Athlete of the Nation) competed in all sporting categories which included basketball, indoor volleyball, beach volleyball, badminton, taekwondo, table tennis, and futsal.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the athletic showcase and the event’s return to action after the pandemic. Dipolog City Mayor Daryl Dexter Uy welcomed the delegates from across the country and emphasized the importance of sportsmanship, unity, and friendly competition in accordance with the event’s theme “Games that bring us together for Unity and Peace”.
“Sports have the unique ability to transcend boundaries, bringing individuals from diverse backgrounds together under the banner of competition and fair play. In these times when the world faces various challenges, the unifying power of sports becomes even more crucial. The playing field becomes a space where we can celebrate our shared humanity,” Uy stated.
Prior to the games, PUP Vice President of Campus Pascualito Gatan expressed his admiration for our delegates and wished all athletes and coaches good luck. He reminded the delegates that the PUP community is deeply proud of them all.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I want everybody to keep cool. Ang sabi ko sa kanila is give your best shot (What I have been saying to them [athletes] is give your best shot). Do your best, if you will not be the best, what is important is keep your best”. Gatan said.
Securing the crown VP Gatan’s words did not fall on flat ears as all student-athletes brought honor to the Sintang Paaralan and performed excellently under the bright lights of their respective competitions.
In Taekwondo Poomsae, John Kevin Vincent Custodio and Christelle Wayne Ambida captured Bronze and Gold in the Individual Men and Individual Women categories, respectively. Ambida and Denmark Pedernal won gold in the Taekwondo Pairs category.
In the same category, taekwondo Jins Custodio, Glendale Wayne Ambisa, and Aldraine Samson captured gold medals in the men’s competition. Their female counterparts, Kyla Allyson N. Saulog, Sara Mae Cabiles, and Elhaiza S. Notob, also won gold for the women’s team.
PUPians retained their dominance in taekwondo sparring. Women’s team representatives Sophia Cadete, Illaisa Delos Santos, Shane Canete, and Zheeny Tar Achvida were crowned overall champions after securing gold each in the finweight, flyweight, heavyweight, and middle-weight classes, respectively. Alessandra Zapanta and Christina Acosta took silver medals for the lightweight and welterweight classes, while Leane Zapata won 2 silvers herself for the bantamweight and featherweight classes.
The men’s taekwondo sparring team did not disappoint. Nolan Solas, Alexander Williams, Marco Empleo, and Mark Dilla garnered silver medals each for the flyweight, bantamweight, lightweight, and heavyweight categories, respectively. John Paul Amboy and Billie Tumala bagged a pair of bronze finishes in the middleweight and featherweight classes.
Meanwhile, table tennis players earned medals winning first place in the men’s category and second in the women’s category. Both teams received silver medals after the elimination round.
In their debut performance, the PUP badminton team finished third. Both its men’s and women’s teams bagged bronze medals apiece, upsetting badminton heavyweights such as San Beda College and Iloilo Doctors College.
For futsal, Coach Anthony Celi led the team to a second-place finish, securing a 4-1-1 record.
Indoor volleyball players for the Men’s Team snagged a decent fourth place finish in the tourney while compiling a clean 5-0 record during the elimination rounds. Women’s Team representatives ended their run with a 2-1 record.
PUP beach volleyball men’s team earned third place. They defeated Northern Negros State College of Science and Technology (NONECOST) 18-21, 22-20, and 15-5, setting an eliminations record of 3-1.
Our basketball teams shone bright in what is arguably one of the highlights of the entire competition. The women’s team bagged second place (PUP-A) and third place (PUP-B) in the 3 x 3 format, while the men’s team reigned supreme in the men’s 5 x 5 basketball competition. The boys routed the Asian University, 83-65, cementing PUP’s run as UNIGAMES 2024 Overall champions.
University support and community spirit Student-athletes and coaches alike enjoyed the UNIGAMES. They highlighted the importance of the University’s support as their main motivation in gaining high rankings and securing victories in their respective competitions.
Badminton team captain Jerome Esto applauded the University for their assistance, allowing them to focus on their preparations and training. Christine Acosta, taekwondo team captain added that “the support system from the PUP, especially from the SDPO family, the coaches, our classmates, and the whole PUP community—it’s there, it’s present. Naramdam po talaga namin yung suporta sa Manila pa lang, even the start of it is nung nagte-training kami. We have a great venue for our trainings, nabigyan kami ng opportunities to play other leagues, so present talaga ang suporta kaya thankful kami kasi they value us and same as them (We really felt their support even back in Manila, even during the start of our training. We have a great venue for our trainings, we were given opportunities to play other leagues, so the support is really present so we are deeply thankful because they value us and same as them).”
Echoing these sentiments, Sports Development Program Office (SDPO) Director Ron Hubbard credits the administration’s support, saying “if not with them, wala kami dito (if not with them, we will not be here).”
“It’s about time we’ve proved ourselves to be worthy for this kind of event. Pinaghandaan talaga natin ito, especially the players and coaches. Alam natin na tayo ang magcha-champion. Although malaki ang kalaban, iba kasi ang training natin, iba ang training regimen natin compared to them (We have really prepared for this, especially the players and coaches. We knew that we are going to be champions. Although our competitions are massive, our training is different, our training regimen is different compared to them,” Director Hubbard added.
It is SDPO’s hope that the 25th University Games will result in more sporting opportunities, improved facilities, and more support.
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