NCAA walang idedeklarang overall champion

MANILA, Philippines — Dahil sa coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic ay walang hihira­nging overall champion ang National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Sinabi kahapon ni Fr. Victor Calvo, OP, ng Season 96 host Letran na ito ang unang pagkakataon na walang idedeklara ang NCAA bilang general champion.

“It’s hard to come up with a computation to declare the general champion if more than half of your events were cancelled,” wika ni Calvo.

Ang huling pagkaka­taon na walang hinirang na overall champion sa seniors division ay noong 1985-86 dahil sa People Power bagama’t  ibinigay sa Mapua ang junior ge-neral champion.

Sapul nang maggawad ng general champion noong 1960 ay anim na beses lamang walang nai­deklarang overall winner. Ito ay noong 1961 hanggang 1964, 1981 at 1986.

Kalahati o 14 sa 26 ng mga itinakdang events sa Season 95 calendar ay ibinasura bunga ng COVID-19.

Ang mga events na hindi isinagawa ay ang men’s at women’s volleyball, men’s lawn tennis, men’s at women’s soft tennis, men’s at women’s beach volley, men’s at women’s track and field, men’s at women’s football at women’s badminton.

Hindi na rin itinuloy ang pagdaraos ng cheerdance na hindi bahagi ng general championship computation.

Nangunguna ang San Beda, may pitong overall titles, sa karera matapos magwagi sa men’s at women’s table tennis, women’s lawn tennis, men’s at women’s swimming at men’s badminton at pumapangalawa sa Letran sa basketball bago nagkaroon ng COVID-19.