The inaugural UAAP eSports tournament is set to commence in explosive fashion on Tuesday inside the Ateneo de Manila University campus, with the opening day of the Valorant tournament featuring a matchup of rivals Ateneo and La Salle.
The Green Archers, represented by Viridis Arcus eSports, are expected to be the inaugural favorites, with VAE already securing five championships under their belts.
Serving as their head coach is Xavier Juan, a former student-athlete and captain of VAE who has carved his way onto the professional scene through Oasis Gaming, the side that recently claimed the Predator League Philippines crown..
Even with the awareness that they are the team to watch, Juan believes that their focus lies in training with the end goal of tacking another championship to their tally.
He shares, "On average, we trained six hours a day. We have the best mechanics and raw talent among the other teams. Coming into the tournament, the real enemy would be ourselves."
For Valorant, the eight schools have been split into two groups of four, with Group A comprising of La Salle, Far Eastern University, Adamson University, and Ateneo. Group B has the other four schools: the University of Santo Tomas, the University of the Philippines, National University, and the University of the East.
Teams will play a single round-robin within their group, with matches being comprised of best-of-two series. Going 2-0 in those series will net three points, while splitting them nets a point. Finishing in the top half of each group nets them a spot in the crossover semifinals.
Also set to kick off action on Tuesday is the NBA2K tournament, with a total of 28 matches to be played involving sixteen players split into two groups of eight.
E-Gilas Program head coach Al Timajo, who is also serving as the head coach of the University of the Philippines, thinks that Ateneo and La Salle are the teams to beat, but at the same time, expressed confidence that the Fighting Maroons have what it takes to be contenders.
He says, "In order for us to win, we need to get as many wins as possible. Treat every game as do-or-die. Our primary goal is to secure the top two spots in each bracket. I'm prepping our guys for a UP vs. UP finals—that's our ultimate goal. We hope and pray we can execute what we practice and achieve the outcome we envision."
Nite Alparas, who also coaches E-Gilas, believes that Ateneo, the team he mentors, is the top contender.
He notes, "I believe the team to beat in the UAAP NBA2K is definitely Ateneo. We've got talented and dedicated players who put in the work and preparation for this tournament. Aside from that, we also have the support of the Ateneo community. While we respect all other teams, we are confident that we have what it takes to be on top."
Alparas highlights consistency as the pathway towards success, adding that "We need to be consistent with our performance, ensuring that we bring our A-game every single time. We also need to adapt because we will be facing tough opponents, and being able to adjust on the fly will be key to any challenge."
Valorant matches are going to be played at Hyundai Hall, while the NBA2K games are to be held at the Doreen Fernandez Black Box. Matches are set to kick off at 1130am, with broadcast slated to take place at One Sports' YouTube channel, Pilipinas Live, the Varsity Channel, and One Sports.
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