UAAP: Competition will be tight and tough

Competition will be tough in Season 67 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), but the heat of rivalry would not only be felt in the centerpiece men’s basketball, but in all fronts.

All fronts mean 26 events in 14 sports in the seniors, and nine events in seven disciplines in the juniors or high school division.

"It will be tough, it will be tight," said Danny Jose, one of two De La Salle representatives—the other being Lito Tanjuatco—to the UAAP board who is the league’s Season 67 president. "Not only do we expect competitions to be tough in men’s basketball, but in all disciplines as well."

Season 67 of the UAAP kicks off July 10 with men’s basketball matches at the Araneta Coliseum. De La Salle is the season host but has kept under wraps details of its unique program on opening day.

Hotly contested has become an apt description prior to the competitions and Jose provided more proof of the expectation in the season that would carry the theme "Animo UAAP: Shooting For The Stars."

In men’s basketball, Jose said defending champion Far Eastern University (FEU) would keep its lofty billing. "But of course Ateneo would be there, Adamson has become strong and De La Salle is the same team it was last season," he said.

The eligibility of athletes in men’s basketball—like in the women’s and boys’ basketball and men’s and women’s chess and volleyball—was tackled in a crucial UAAP meeting Tuesday. The rosters would be approved with finality when the league’s board meets anew tomorrow (Friday, July 2).

Jose said that with the UAAP’s thrust to put equal weight on the 25 other events besides men’s basketball, enthusiasm has grown by leaps and bounds in all of the UAAP sports. "To name a few, swimming, badminton, volleyball and chess are no longer ignored," he said.

Besides basketball (men, women and boys), the UAAP also holds competitions in swimming, table tennis, volleyball and chess in the first semester of each school year. The second semester sports are athletics, badminton, baseball, fencing, football, judo, lawn tennis, softball and taekwondo.

And although University of Santo Tomas (UST) remains the team to beat for the biggest trophy for the season—the general championship—two schools, De La Salle and University of the Philippines (UP)—are extremely potential threats.

The past few seasons saw the Green Archers and the Fighting Maroons threaten the Tigers for the general championship. In fact, they finished tied for second last season.

"The Green Archers, as in every season, always shoot for the general championship. They always give it their best shot," said Jose. "UP of course would be prepared and especially UST, but the Green Archers would always be there fighting."

UST ruled men’s and women’s judo, table tennis and taekwondo and booked second-place finishes in men’s and women’s lawn tennis, men’s badminton and baseball and women’s athletics, fencing, softball and swimming in winning the biggest trophy last season.

De La Salle, which would parade practically the same outstanding athletes it has last season, topped men’s athletics, men’s chess and women’s football and swimming and swept the men’s and women’s tennis and volleyball, while UP won men’s baseball and swimming and women’s chess and fencing in tying for second place overall. University of the East was fourth, followed by FEU, Ateneo, Adamson and National University.