UAAP: NU, UP claim inaugural overall crowns in badminton

MANILA (UPDATED) — National University and the University of the Philippines captured the UAAP Season 89 overall championships in men’s and women’s badminton, respectively, after the conclusion of the tournament on Tuesday at the Gameville Central Park in Mandaluyong City.

The Bulldogs claimed their record-extending 10th men’s overall title with a maximum total of 25.875 points, completing an impressive campaign highlighted by a near-sweep of the gold medals in the team event, a 1–2 finish in the singles, and a silver-medal finish in the doubles.

“Doble ‘yung saya na nakuha namin ‘tong overall championship; malaking tulong talaga ‘yung naging panalo namin sa team event,” said NU’s graduating skipper, Lanz Zafra. “After nung team event, kumain lang talaga kami sa labas, nag-rest, and, then, focus uli.”

The former national team standout hopes the championship squad, which will only lose his services next season, can sustain its success and continue the legacy they have built.

“Itong legacy na iniwan ko sa NU, sana maging momentum para sa kanila para magtuluy-tuloy ‘yung championship. Kampante akong kaya pa rin nila next year at mas lalo pa nilang gagalingan,” he said.

On the women’s side, the Fighting Maroons extended their record to 11 overall titles after edging out Ateneo de Manila University and NU with 20.875 points, highlighted by their championship-clinching gold in the women’s doubles.

“Sobrang saya ko lang kasi last season ko na; nadagdagan ‘yung saya ko na hindi lang kami naka-bronze pero nakuha pa rin namin ‘yung overall,” said UP’s graduating captain, Susmita Ramos. 

The Fighting Maroons will have their work cut out for them in defending the crown, with Ramos, Kimberly Lao, Anthea Gonzalez, and Pat De Leon all graduating. However, the team captain remains confident in the program’s future.

“Masasabi ko lang sa girls, and sa men’s na rin, na sana huwag nilang gawing pressure ‘to, kundi maging motivation ‘to to work hard pa,” she said.

Under the league’s scoring system, teams received points based on their finishes in the team event, with the gold medalist earning 15 points, the silver medalist collecting 12, and the bronze medalist getting 10. The fourth-place finisher received eight points, while the remaining two teams in the six-team field earned six and four points, respectively.

The individual events — singles and doubles — followed a separate scoring system, with 10 points awarded to the gold medalists, six to the runners-up, four to the semifinalists, two to the quarterfinalists, and one point to all other participants.

For the overall standings, each team’s results in the individual events were combined, with a maximum of two singles and two doubles results counted. These points were then added to the team’s score in the team event to determine the overall champions.

Clarence Villaflor, the newly crowned men’s Season MVP, delivered the decisive victory for the Bulldogs in an all-NU singles final against his team captain, Zafra, 24–22, 21–12, sealing the title for the 10-time champions.

Ateneo finished as the men’s overall runner-up with 20.7 points, highlighted by its first-ever men’s doubles championship courtesy of last season’s MVP Lyrden Laborte and co-captain Robby Ramos.

The duo prevented an NU sweep with a 21–13, 21–15 victory over Ben Dictado and John Benedict Gam in just 30 minutes.

UP, which settled for bronze in the men’s team event, completed the overall podium with 17.25 points. Shan Clar secured a bronze in the men’s singles, while the tandem of Arjay Lazareto and Ryan Mendoza also took bronze in the doubles.

Meanwhile, Lao and Ramos capped their collegiate careers in style, grinding out a 19–21, 21–9, 21–17 victory over Adamson University’s Mary Untal and Jasmine Reformina in the women’s doubles final to secure UP’s milestone 11th overall championship.

Their gold-medal triumph also capped a strong showing in the individual events, helping the Fighting Maroons establish a narrow advantage in the race for the overall crown.

Ateneo, despite winning the women’s team event, settled for second overall with 20.8 points, just 0.075 behind UP. Daena Castro and Andrea Hernandez, along with Angel Valle and Althea Hernandez, provided the Blue Eagles with a pair of bronze medals in the women’s doubles, giving last season’s overall champions something to celebrate.

NU completed the women’s overall podium with 20.7 points, just 0.1 behind Ateneo. Captain and Season MVP Sab Amora, meanwhile, capped her UAAP career with an undefeated campaign, highlighted by a 21–14, 21–16 victory over UP’s Brys Fuggan in the women’s singles final.

Men’s doubles quarterfinalist Jacinth Paul Ruedas was named Men’s Rookie of the Year, while women’s doubles silver medalists Untal and Reformina shared the distinction as the Women’s Rookies of the Year.