On the mat, he was a dominant judoka. He was widely known for his gentleness.
News of the death of UST’s two-time UAAP judo Most Valuable Player Dither Tablan came as a shock to the Thomasian community when it broke on Oct. 29.
Regarded as the “King Judoka,” Dither had a stellar collegiate career for UST. He dominated the heavyweight division of men’s judo and helped the UST Judokas secure a rare four-peat during his time.
Dither’s father Jun said that his son would be remembered for his charismatic energy that captivated everyone he was close with.
“Si Dither parang virus ito eh, kapag ‘yan lumalapit sa tao [para bang] nate-tame ‘yung tao…‘Gentle giant’ nga ang tawag sa kanya,” he told the Varsitarian.
The English translation of the Japanese word “judo” is “gentle way,” and Dither had always been gentle even when inside the mat.
Jun said Dither’s coaches had to unleash the killer instinct within him, as he was reluctant to hurt his enemies.
“Ang turo namin sa kanya, sa national team, ‘Dither, pag-apak mo sa mat dapat galit na galit ka, dapat papatayin mo ‘yung kalaban.’ Ang sagot niya, ‘Daddy naman bakit ko papatayin eh laro lang naman yan?’”
“E hindi, kailangan galit ka sabi ko. Kailangan unahan mo siya, e kasi ang style niya gusto niya siya muna unahan tas gaganti siya, ganoon. Kako, hindi ganon ang international tournament, kailangan una ka parati,” Jun said.
Dither didn’t only excel in sports. He was a dean’s lister in his early college years and graduated with a general weighted average of 1.78, barely missing out from cum laude honors.
“He kept on getting high grades kasi serious siya mag-aral. So ayun, serious student siya at serious sa sports,” Jun said.
Jun said Dither did not use his size and strength to bully. In fact, Dither was bullied from elementary to high school.
“Ang tinuro ko kay Dither, wag siyang mang-aapi ng tao at ng kapwa. Pero noong nag-gold medal siya sa tournament, alam na nilang gold medalist ito, hindi na siya binully.”
Trish Bandol, Dither’s girlfriend, said Dither remained grounded and loving to all the people that surrounded him despite his achievements.
“I continue to find strength to tell your story—how you are more than a champion in judo but a champion in all the hearts you’ve ever touched,” Bandol said in her eulogy.
Outside the UAAP, Dither also represented the country in the 2019 Southeast Asian Game under the Kurash team and 2019 World Martial Arts Mastership.
Former Golden Judokas team captain Al Llamas said Dither was hardworking and persevering since his rookie year.
“When we were about to compete, always siyang pupunta sa akin, lalapit sa akin magpapatanggal ng kaba,we call it pagpag,” Llamas said.
Llamas said he and Dither did not only compete alongside each other; they also faced personal problems together.
Llamas said his last conversation with Dither was about the latter’s concerns about his health.
Tablan told Llamas that he wanted to quit the national team, saying he was “not in his best condition as an athlete.”
“When he was [having] problems nag-approach din siya sa akin not only as a coach but also as a kuya, parang feeling niya nga raw nahihirapan na raw siya kumilos as an athlete, he felt like he needed to focus more on his health,” Llamas said.
Dither’s father said that the lack of physical activity due to the pandemic added to the judoka’s health problems. Three months before he died, Dither started cutting weight by dieting.
“Talagang nag-attempt naman talaga siya [mag-diet], gusto niya lang fruits tapos wala nang juice and softdrinks, water na lang. Naging okay naman,” Jun said.
Dither, 23, died following cardiac arrest.
Jun said his family was willing to give the uniform of the UST legend to the university as memorabilia.
