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UP sets sights on UAAP general championship

The UP athletics and Sports Development holds a program dubbed, UP Fight!: Isang Pagdiriwang ng Utak at Pusong Palaban held at the University Theater in UP Diliman Quezon City on February 9, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Camille Naredo

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The student-athletes of the University of the Philippines received a challenge from no less than their university president on Friday — to become overall champions of the UAAP.&quot;I ask you, Fighting Maroons, two things. Two very simple things,&quot; UP president Atty. Angelo &quot;Jijil&quot; Jimenez said during the &quot;UP Fight!: Isang Pagdiriwang ng Utak at Pusong Palaban&quot; program at the University Theater.&quot;I want you to be overall champions,&quot; Jimenez said. &quot;But more than that, I want you to be heroes of the Filipino people.&quot;Jimenez&#x27;s challenge was for UAAP Season 87 — which UP will host — but winning the general championship is a possibility for the Fighting Maroons in Season 86.After the first semester, they are second in the general championship tally with 172 points, behind the University of Santo Tomas (202 points).<div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/2/9/up-hails-season-86-champions-gears-up-for-hosting-of-season-87-2249" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UP hails Season 86 champions, gears up for hosting of Season 87</a></div>UP&#x27;s charge in the first semester was spearheaded by its men&#x27;s judo team and women&#x27;s swimming team, who emerged as champions of their respective events.&quot;Baka may tsansa pa,&quot; said Bo Perasol, director of the UP Office of Athletics and Sports Development, about the Season 86 general championship.<div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/11/27/23/uaap-up-regains-womens-swimming-crown" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UAAP: UP regains women&#x27;s swimming crown</a></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/12/02/23/up-ends-16-year-title-drought-in-uaap-mens-judo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UP ends 16-year title drought in UAAP men&#x27;s judo</a></div>While hopeful, Perasol is also realistic about their chances. He knows it will take a lot to topple UST, which has won the six general championships and 46 overall. UP has not won the UAAP general championship since Season 60 in 1998.&quot;Very consistent talaga si UST in terms of &#x27;yung all other sports,&quot; Perasol told ABS-CBN News. &quot;So all across programs, si UST matibay talaga.&quot;&quot;We&#x27;re trying to find a way how we can compete with that by not just focusing on the number of sports, but to help and assist the other sports that are going to help contribute for that general championship,&quot; he added.Aside from improving their chances of becoming overall champions, giving more attention and resources to other sports will also help the national cause, Perasol pointed out.&quot;Hindi masyado nako-cover &#x27;yung swimming, but it&#x27;s an Olympic sport. Track and field, &#x27;di ba?&quot; he said. &quot;Lahat &#x27;yan may tsansa ang Pilipinas na mag-compete in the Olympics.&quot;&quot;&#x27;Yan &#x27;yung nagiging thrust ng supposedly, in a very minimal way, ng UP para also maging contributor sa bansa natin, kung sakaling makahanap tayo ng mga magagaling na mga table tennis players, mga taekwondo, judo players,&quot; he added.Running third in the general championship tally is Ateneo de Manila University with 167 points, followed by De La Salle University (160), National University (136), Far Eastern University (105), Adamson University (52) and the University of the East (41).

The student-athletes of UP received a challenge from no less than their university president on Friday – to become overall champions of the UAAP.

The student-athletes of UP received a challenge from no less than their university president on Friday – to become overall champions of the UAAP.