The past few seasons for the DLSU Table Tennis Teams can be seen as a success; with the Green Paddlers winning three consecutive championships, before settling for a first runner-up finish last season, and the Lady Paddlers going for a fourth consecutive championship in Season 80.
For the most part, both of the teams’ line-ups will remain intact for this season which can serve as an advantage for the Lasallians as it will maintain the team’s chemistry. However, Jeremy Ruiz and Donna Gamila will not be suiting up for the Green-and-White this season due to migration and graduation, respectively. To cope with the departures of these key players, the Green Paddlers welcomed Edward So while the women’s team added Denise Cai.
Acting as additional motivation for both teams will be Yan Lariba, who was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia back in May. The former two-time UAAP Most Valuable Player was an integral player for the Lady Paddlers during her collegiate days and her presence was felt even with the Green Paddlers. “Definitely yes, kasi isa siya sa mga inspiration namin as a team,” Green Paddlers team captain Ralph Nones shared when asked if Lariba’s situation will act as additional motivation for the DLSU table tennis team.
Aiming for a four-peat
The Lady Paddlers finished the previous campaign on a high note as they were able to win their third consecutive championship, prevailing against the UST Golden Tigresses. Even with the loss of Lariba due to graduation last season, the Lady Paddlers were able to notch a perfect record in the elimination round. Their 14-game winning streak was only halted by the Tigresses in Game 1 of the finals but the Lasallians quickly bounced back in Game 2 to avoid an upset. They finally secured the title by defeating the Espana-based squad in Game 3 of the finals, with Emy Dael bagging home the Season 79 Most Valuable Player award.
Even though the team won the title in October 2016, the Lady Paddlers started preparing for this upcoming season by conducting team practices as early as January of this year and by competing in multiple preseason tournaments. Along with this, the team trains every day, but during the term break, the Lady Paddlers trained even more. “Once in the morning, then another one in the evening,” Jamaica Sy shared.
Sy, the Lady Paddlers’ team captain, competed with her teammate, Dael, in the recently concluded 2017 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games but stated that the rest of her team continued to stay sharp as they still trained even with their absences. The assistant coaches handled the training sessions of the Lady Paddlers during the SEA Games since Lauro Crisostomo, head coach of the DLSU table tennis team, is also the head coach of the national team. With the involvement of Crisostomo in the international stages, he was able to adopt some training methods to further enhance the skills of the Lady Paddlers. “Mas naging strategic,” was Sy’s answer regarding the new approach in their trainings.
Handling pressure will be the main challenge for the Lady Paddlers, but Sy admitted that winning a fourth consecutive championship is attainable, “parang feeling namin solid yung team na kaya talaga namin mag four-peat.” She further expressed that they should take it one game at a time and not rush the process of winning another championship. Adapting to the new playing venue, which is the UP Diliman Human Kinetics Gym, is also another challenge that may arise for the Lady Paddlers since previous seasons were played at the Blue Eagle Gym in ADMU.
Dael, Ina Co, and Chantal Alberto are the players expected by Sy to perform exceptionally this season as they try to accomplish a rare fourth straight title. “Hopefully, makuha pa rin namin yung championship,” Sy concluded.
One Step at a Time
The Green Paddlers may have placed second last season but the drive to go for gold still lives on. Despite beginning the previous season with having to expect the unexpected, the Green Paddlers remained optimistic throughout the season and eventually earned their remarkable first runner-up position at the end of Season 79. Team captain Nones expressed how unity and perseverance were the key ingredients to last season’s performance. “Masaya siya as well as mahirap siya kasi kailangan mong pag-hirapan yan, kailangan mong may puso talaga,” Nones further expressed that no matter what happens to them, they would always continue to compete and it eventually leads the team to work together.
According to Nones, their team would be changing up their gameplay for this year, saying: “Kailangan namin pag-practicin yung mga bagay na kulang namin last year.” To further enhance their performance, they will have to adjust to how they use the paddles in playing. In the process, seven months of training along with multiple non-UAAP competitions were good enough to prepare the team. With that, Nones expressed that every member of the team would be projecting their best efforts while competing, and that they can bring out what they have been training for once the game starts.
“One step at a time” is the motto Nones has kept since his rookie years with the Green Paddlers. Going in any game, every team has a strategy, and for the Green Paddlers, it is to play, win, and aim for the gold. This keeps the team grounded as every time they would enter the game, they would have to anticipate how good their opponents might be, regardless of how much training they have had, it would be best if they just expect the unexpected and fight to win.
In Season 80, the Green and Lady Paddlers should be a force to watch out for. History has shown that both teams have performed well every season. However, that does not mean that they should be complacent with their final standing as every time they enter a new season, they would always be motivated to improve themselves in order to go higher or defend the crown.
Having humble expectations is what keeps the spirit of the Paddlers from going down, as they believe that it unites them. It is this unity that helps them go forward into the games. With roughly seven months to prepare, pre-seasonal competitions, and extra tune-up games, the Green and Lady Paddlers are ready to play in Season 80.
