The 17th UniGames (University Games) will kick off in Bacolod, the capital city of Negros Occidental on October 22, and will end on the 28th.
De La Salle University’s sister school, University of St. La Salle, will host this year’s festivities for the tenth time. In 1996, late Lasallian Brother Rolando Dizon and Roger Banzuela founded the UniGames, which eventually gathered 72 different schools to compete in 13 different events.
This year, DLSU will be participating in six of the thirteen sporting events with both men and women squads fielding athletes of their own.
The Green and Lady Paddlers, which were hailed bridesmaids and champions, respectively in the recent UAAP Season 75 Table Tennis Competition, are set to bring their good records with them to Bacolod.
Meanwhile, the back-to-back UAAP Women’s volleyball champion, the Lady Spikers, will attempt to make waves in the UniGames. This is also the team’s first preseason tournament as the team opted to join two Shakey’s V-league conferences. The squad’s male counterpart will also try its luck in the said competition.
Aside from the Spikers, four other second half teams will be competing in the UniGames. Green-and-White Football, Lawn Tennis, Chess, and Athletics squads will send their male and female teams to the event.
The athletes from Taft Avenue are looking to defend their championship posts in Men’s Football and Women’s Lawn Tennis.
“Even if we’re the team trying to defend the title, we’re still not favorites this year. A team with nine rookies in a lineup of 20 usually ends up as underdogs when competing against all the UAAP, NCAA, and Visayan giants. Possibly being underestimated is a comfortable place for DLSU football though, and we’ll play our hearts out, as always, to reach our goal,” said sophomore Green Booter Greggy Yang.
The UniGames are one of DLSU’s training grounds for athletes before they enter the UAAP. Six of seven La Salle squads that will compete in the UniGames will be participating in the second half of the UAAP. DLSU currently leads the General Championship tally.
