UAAP side bar: General championship anybody’s game

MANILA, Philippines - When the UAAP fires off Season 76 today, it will usher in not only the race for basketball supremacy but also the chase for the general championship, which, the previous season pointed out, is no longer the personal domain of the member school from España Blvd.

Reigning general champ La Salle, which broke the stranglehold of perennial winner University of Santo Tomas, is looking to make an extended stay atop the eight-team collegiate league in season 76.

And lying in wait are the angry Tigers and Tigresses, who want to reclaim what was traditionally theirs.

Last season, DLSU toppled UST from its throne, banking on five championships, five runner-up finishes and 11 third-place efforts to edge the kingpins for 14 straight years in total points at the end of 28 events, 293 points versus UST’s 277. It marked the first time the La Sallians were crowned general champions, dislodging UST, which has 39 in all.

“Winning the general championship revived almost everyone in the De La Salle community. It gave real importance to all sports and alumni are now more involved and supportive of other sports like judo, fencing, and see the importance of how to build programs around these,” said Henry Atayde, DLSU representative to the UAAP board.

La Salle’s feat also rejuvenated the other schools that regularly stay in the shadows of UST. “It gave other schools that wow, toppling UST is achievable.”

UST, however, is not taking it sitting down.

“Many felt bad that we failed to win the general championship,” said UST athletic director Fr. Ermito de Sagon, OP. “Although it will be hard to predict the outcome, we instructed our team to do better this season. We have new recruits who we believe can help us regain the overall title.”