Pressure is nothing new to the DLSU Table Tennis Team, who have won consecutive double championships in the past two years, with the Green Paddlers winning three straight titles dating back to UAAP Season 76. The Lady Paddlers, on the other hand, have been among the University’s more consistent teams, having finished in the top four in the past 10 years.
This season, however, provides a different kind of pressure as both teams will be aiming to once again exceed expectations, despite suffering huge losses in terms of personnel. The Green Paddlers will lose the services of the likes of Season 78 MVP Walden Ledesma, while the Lady Paddlers, who are aiming for their fourth title in five years, will need to find ways to replace the production Olympian Yan Lariba provided the past few seasons.
“Siguro leadership and yung motivation [na binigay niya na] maglaro for her [Lariba],” Lady Paddlers team captain Jamaica Sy further explains. “Kasi, especially for her last year, talagang we played for Ate Yan.”
Replacing key veterans, championship pieces
Both the men’s and women’s teams lost key players for a number of reasons, with Lariba and Ledesma playing out their final years last season. Aside from giving DLSU an advantage in terms of securing points, these veterans provided the leadership and championship experience that helped put La Salle on top for successive years.
“Siguro yung mga kulitan tsaka siguro yung aura nila dahil iba din yung aura namin ngayon dahil wala na sila,” Green Paddlers team captain Ralph Nones says when asked about the intangibles their departing teammates brought to the table.
With the absence of their senior players, both squads have discovered the points they will need to improve on. Sy and Nones both share that Head Coach Lauro Crisostomo emphasized the need for them to triple their efforts in training, since what they do in practice will definitely come out during the games.
“Siguro narealize namin na parang may kulang pa kami sa mga techniques, tapos siguro kulang pa namin na dapat iapply,” Nones explains when asked about what they saw from their training and tune-up games.
Intense preparations for Season 79
In order to prepare for what could potentially be their toughest campaign in recent years, the Green Paddlers and Lady Paddlers have resorted to going all out in practice and playing in as many preseason tourneys and tune-up games as possible.
Sy mentions that reigning Season 78 Rookie of the Year Emy Dael and Lariba clinched the bronze medal in the most recent edition of the ASEAN University Games, an experience that will only boost the former’s confidence heading into Season 79. Nones also shares that thanks to these tune-up games, the team can determine what they need to tweak on with weeks left before their tournament opener.
“As a captain, sabi ko lang sa teammates ko [na] magtulungan tayo,” Nones adds. “Kung ano yung nalalaman niyo na di ko alam, for example, sa mga strengths, like [sa] service, sa mga forehand, backhand, yun.”
“During practices and tune-up games, I always tell them to give their best, na parang UAAP game siya,” Sy says, adding that she always tells her teammates that the UAAP is a tough league. “Kasi, siyempre, team to beat kami and super pressure talaga.”
Another pleasing result their preparations have brought out is the emergence of the other players on the team. With a few of their members moving up the ranks, the continuity is in place for them to defend their title this season.
“Siguro iwoworkout pa namin kasi iba galing sa Team B, tapos isang rookie [Nathan Siasico], kaya medyo mahihirapan kami sa pagadjust,” Nones explains on the new players in the competing roster. “Pero ittry naming magadjust para mawork on namin yung game [namin] and madefend namin yung title,” he adds.
With many of their opponents still having their cores relatively intact, both the Green Paddlers and the Lady Paddlers expect this season to be as competitive as ever. Sy mentions that FEU, UST, and UP will be among the contenders, while Nones adds NU to that list. Despite facing tougher odds compared to previous seasons, La Salle has the tools and the experience to remain on top.
“Parang yun lang yung nakikita namin [na] kumpleto pa sila, tapos parang dun pa yung team na walang nawala halos kasi isa lang naggraduate,” Nones says on the teams to beat.
On the huge expectations handed down to the current team, Sy explains, “Siyempre, we have to develop yung tiwala namin sa sarili and it starts from yung maliliit na games tsaka during practices, kung paano minomotivate yung sarili namin tsaka yung mga teammates namin.”
