Despite the two-year hiatus of the UAAP due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Thomasians can expect a rust-free Salinggawi Dance Troupe in this year’s cheerdance competition, the group’s head coach said.
In an interview with the Varsitarian, Salinggawi head coach Mark Chaiwalla said the past two years without regular training had been a challenge for the team.
Before starting an on-campus “bubble” training on March 7, Salinggawi’s training was exclusively virtual.
“Siyempre with two years of no physical training, it would greatly affect their athletic capabilities,” he said. “But even with the limited time to prepare physically after coming back, we will make sure that things would look the same, or even better.”
Micha Perol, co-captain of the team, said not training together was detrimental especially as cheerdance is a group competition.
“As the pandemic started, our training becomes difficult for us since we were only using virtual tools to train altogether,” she said. “But despite the boundaries of our screens, we are still able to push through our training for the past two years.”
Chaiwalla said the pandemic also adversely affected the team’s composition.
Aside from losing a number of athletes and coaches in the past two years, Chaiwalla said the team was also unable to conduct its normal recruitment programs.
Still, the head coach said the Thomasian community could expect an energized Salinggawi.
“Look forward to a Salinggawi that doesn’t look like it went through a pandemic,” he said.
“[Our goal] is to get that ninth championship crown, and of course, to make the community proud regardless of the result,” he added.
Chaiwalla said Salinggawi’s UAAP routine would include dance segments that would showcase the strength and versatility of its members.
“In terms of performance, Salinggawi is known for its versatility in dance,” added PeroL.
In Season 82, Salinggawi placed third in the dance category with 349.5 points, lagging behind the National University Pep Squad and Far Eastern University Cheering Squad, which scored 369.5 and 362 points, respectively.
Salinggawi settled for fifth in the stunts category with 66 points while placing fourth in the pyramid with 90 points.
Salinggawi will perform last in Season 84’s cheerdance competition, which has yet to have a final date.
UST is tied with the University of the Philippines for the most number of UAAP cheerdance titles at eight.
Salinggawi is the only team in UAAP history to have won five consecutive titles.
The CDC will be among the nine featured events for the upcoming UAAP season, along with men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s 3×3 basketball, men’s beach volleyball, co-ed event poomsae, and men’s and women’s chess.
