Which crown?

GENERAL championship or basketball Crown? Which is more important?
For most students, the basketball crown is the most important award in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. And for some, UAAP is only about basketball.
In the recently concluded UAAP Season 70 basketball tournament, the UST Growling Tigers emerged on top.
Although the first-place finish was unexpected, the Tigers showed the heart of a true champion as they faced all the challenges, erasing University of the East’s twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four and winning the back-to-back games against Ateneo de Manila University after losing the first outing in the finals.
The Tigers’ Final Four appearance awakened Thomasian support which has been slumbering for the past few seasons. Slowly, Thomasians, wearing UST’s colors started trooping the game venue to the rafters to lend valuable moral support.
UST’s amazing run really got its students, administrators, teachers, employees, and alumni to enkindle the school the waning school pride.
Not to deprive the Tigers the recognition due them, it is sad to note that only men’s basketball receives the limelight and the full support of the Thomasian community.
Surely, only a small number of students and professors are aware that other sports in the UAAP, like taekwondo, judo, chess, are also dominated by the UST.
The non-basketball athletes, also need our presence and support. They also play their guts out for UST to bring home the championship and contribute to win the ultimate title for the season—the general championship.
The University has won the general championship for the past seven seasons and is on track for another one this season. Winning the men’s basketball championship is a welcome addition, but the points it earned is just the same as that those recorded respectively by the taekwondo, judo, chess, swimming, and table tennis squads, all of which won championships in the UAAP last semester. It is just sad to think that most students would want to have a basketball crown than a general championship. Yes. Basketball is exciting and it brings Thomasians to crowd game venues and scream, “go uste.” But we have to face the fact that UAAP is not just about basketball.
For me, having both titles is perfect. But the general championship is still the most important award a member school can have in the UAAP.

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I would like to congratulate all UST athletes for continuing the legacy of Thomasian sports excellence. Kudos also to the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics for maintaining a competitive sports program in the UAAP.



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