La Salle aims for back-to-back overall dominance
De La Salle University is looking for a back-to-back general championship when the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 76 men’s basketball competitions begins on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
“Last year’s experience [winning the general championships] revived the community. With the help of the alumni and other supporters of the team, we were able to give importance to all sports,” said to La Salle representative to the UAAP Board Henry Atayde.
In Season 75, La Salle collected 293 points to dethrone University of Santo Tomas (UST), which earned 277 points. La Salle won the women’s volleyball, women’s chess, table tennis, tae kwon do and tennis, and wound up second in men’s tae kwon do, swimming and table tennis, and women’s football and basketball.
UST ruled the men’s judo, table tennis, tae kwon do and chess, and women’s judo and beach volleyball.
“Our win also gives notice to other schools that we can beat UST, which held the general championship for a long time,” added Atayde.
The Growling Tigers, for their part, are raring to reclaim their title.
“We really felt bad when we didn’t win the general championship. It’s hard to predict. The competition is really tough, even the coaches can’t predict,” stressed UST Athletic Director Fr. Emerito de Sagon.
“We have to focus on every sport. We have new recruits like in athletics,” added de Sagon.
Rounding out last tear’s overall standings are No. 3 Ateneo de Manila University (205) followed by Far Eastern University (200), University of the Philippines (197), National University (161), University of the East (138) and Adamson University (102).
Emil C. Noguera