Finals rematch set in UAAP Men's Badminton

c/o UAAP

Ties on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall

8 a.m. – NU vs Ateneo (Men's Gold Medal Tie)

8 a.m. – UP vs UST (Men's Bronze Medal Tie)

ATENEO and National University will meet again for a fourth straight championship after besting their respective Final Four foes in the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Badminton Tournament on Tuesday at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall in Manila.

Lyrden Laborte steered the Blue Eagles to a fourth consecutive Finals appearance following a 3-1 win over University of the Philippines.

The Bulldogs will have a chance for redemption from last season's defeat after defeating University of Santo Tomas, 3-0, in the other Final Four tie.

Ateneo will stake its title against undefeated NU at 8 a.m. on Wednesday at the same Malate venue.

The Bulldogs won over the Blue Eagles in Season 82 (2019) and 85 (2022) to complete a seven-peat before losing the crown last year

Laborte, the Blue Eagles captain started the comeback when he fended off the challenge of Fighting Maroons rookie Shan Clar in the second singles rubber, 21-17, 22-20.

Laborte then paired up with their newbie Robby Ramos to extend Ateneo’s reign, 21-14,16-21, 21-15, over Jelo Albo and Johann Abinales in the second doubles.

“At the start parang focused lang po talaga kami sa laro. We kept our presence of mind and we just put God in the center of our team no matter what. Ngayon nakuha na namin, na kahit down kami one game, we kept our spirits na ando’on pa rin,” said the UAAP Season 86 co-MVP.

“Yung NU, alam namin na mabigat na team since natalo nga kami (nung Sunday), pero kailangan naming isipin na kaya namin to. One point at a time, one game at a time. Kaya naman namin talaga basta maniwala lang kami,” shared Laborte.

Ateneo started at the back foot after Smash Pilipinas standout Albo took first blood for UP in a 21-19, 21-16 sweep of Lance Vargas.

The defending champions then went three of three starting with Laborte’s singles win.

Vargas made amends for his tight loss to Albo, pairing with former skipper Arthur Salvado Jr. in a significant stunner of the erstwhile unbeaten pair of Enzo Rivera and Mark Anthony Bernal, 21-18, 21-17, to set up the clincher.

On the other hand, the Bulldogs clinched their 12th consecutive Finals showdown with Season 85 co-MVP Solomon Padiz Jr. and the returning Jeno Cariño getting it done in the lone doubles match.

Padiz and Cariño pulled through for NU, taking the championship berth in a 21-19, 21-14 decision past UST’s Bien Miraflor and Lennox Cuilao.

Lanz Zafra and Mark Anthony Velasco set the sweep with similar two-setters in the two singles matches. Zafra dominated Cuilao, 21-13, 21-7, while Velasco made quick work of Francis Haroun Sarmiento, 21-6, 21-7.

“From the start, ang lagi ko lang sinasabi sa kanila na ‘yung consistency ng laro nila. All throughout the game, dapat kung ano ‘yung sinimulan nila nung una, dapat ganun pa rin sila. Hindi dapat bumababa,” said long-time Bulldogs head coach Jaime Llanes.

“Yung mga players ko in high spirits talaga. And from the start, alam mong gusto nilang bumawi,” he added.

UP and UST will play in the battle for third tiff at 8 a.m. on Wednesday.