WITHOUT A FORMAL announcement and ceremony, San Beda University (SBU) emerged victorious as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) overall champions to conclude their dominant Season 99 run.
In a Facebook post by the San Beda One Sports Program, SBU won seven championships in the following sports; Men’s Basketball, Men’s Swimming, Women’s Swimming, Men’s Football, Men’s Taekwondo, Women’s Taekwondo, and Men’s Badminton.
The news of SBU reigning as the general champions came as a surprise to many. “Originally I was just scrolling sa Wikipedia ng mga games ng mga athletes natin and then nakita ko na hindi pa in-announce na we are the overall champion, I already saw sa tally na tayo na yung nagttop,” said Harry Bonavente, the Creative Director of the One Sports Program.
He further elaborated, “Nakita ko nalang na may trophy nalang bigla dun sa may Vision and Mission pag entrance mo ng San Beda, and ando’n makikita mo yung trophy.”
In publicizing the achievement of our Bedan Athletes, the Athletics Committee of the Student Council and the One Sports Program came to the forefront in announcing the news on Facebook.
“From there, doon ko nalaman na general champion siya, so I created a congratulatory post to showcase or mapakita na San Beda University is the NCAA general champion,” said Harry.
Dr. Diosdado Aller III, PhD, Athletics Moderator of SBU, shared his excitement upon learning the news of San Beda’s success, saying “Of course, I was so happy. And there was this sense of pride because of this achievement.”
Citing the University’s athletic dominance throughout the whole season, “Pagka seven championships ka out of the twelve or thirteen, tapos ‘yung mga kalaban mo ay wala namang ganun kalapit sa atin, alam mo na tayo ang champions.”
He then credited SBU’s success to the different coaches and discipline they instilled within the athletes, stating “It is the primary reason why they perform well.”
Further expressing his plans for the upcoming season, “Siyempre, gagabayan natin sila. We will maximize our resources so that the athletes can perform if not maintain the overall championship. Sa pagtutulungan natin, ay kakayanin natin.”
As a piece of advice, Dr. Aler III emphasized the importance of balancing life as a student-athlete, finding the “middle ground” between academic pursuits and athletic endeavors.
“Pag walang pasok, do not rejoice, but rather sharpen the sword. What do you mean sharpen the sword? Read, read, read. Prepare, prepare, prepare. So that by the time you come back to class, you are well prepared,” he explained.
Heading into the NCAA’s centennial season, he expects the same outcome for the overall championships, with the teams replicating or even surpassing their previous feats.
“I think, there is no reason for us not to retain, if not surpass the overall championships. ‘Yung mga nag-first run up ngayon, second place, nothing to go but up, ‘di ba? While the rest na na-champion, retain. Retain. Retain. Amen,” he concluded.
(With Prince Tagarino)