FOR COACH Jojo Arce, defying the odds has become the trademark of the UST Judo teams.
But this time, the multi-titled mentor is convinced that grappling with the inevitable task of personnel overhaul during the off-season to replace his stalwarts is just one of the many challenges in the UAAP next season.
At present, the architect of the longest championship run in UAAP history is putting short-term preparation at the top of his list as judo events will be played in the first semester, swapping slots with volleyball games. The judo tournament will be in August.
“Three months of preparation is not enough because there are a lot of things to consider,” Arce told the Varsitarian.
Reeling from the sour development, Arce also stands to miss vital contributions from three of his mainstays. While academic deficiencies froze the hopes of Mary Jayne Jaylo and Jane Capawa of reasserting their brilliance in the -70-kg. and +43-kg. divisions, a personal commitment in the United States hampered team skipper and Season 68 Most Valuable Player Camille Hipolito’s participation in the Lady Judokas’ title-retention bid come Season 69.
But the rush of setbacks does not stop there.
According to Arce, recruiting a handful of greenhorns to pinch-hit for his old reliables could be a saving grace, but the leadership backlog is still a cause of alarm.
“In the past, whenever I encounter eligibility problems with my players, I easily resolve it by exerting more time in training the replacements whom I consider will best deliver the goods for the team,” Arce said. “UST is a force to reckon with in judo. Our force, however, as a team does not only come from mere luck, talent, or courage but also from the senior members of the team. It also helps the young ones raise the level of their games.”
Perennial threat
Despite roster problems, the Tiger Judokas, dubbed as last season’s dark horses, remain as a perennial threat, which Arce attributed to their unparalleled six-year rule as the league’s kings of the deadweight discipline.
The reputation comes in handy with proper mental conditioning and the element of surprise, which Arce, a former Philippine team consultant, acknowledges to have contributed immensely to his squad’s A1 billing in every tournament.
“In the UAAP or any pre-season tournament, our rivals are always on the lookout when it comes to the pairing of matches,” he said. “They dread being paired with UST as early as the first round because they know what my players can do on the mat.”
Arce recalled one point last season when Southeast Asian Games campaigner Dennis Catipon dethroned UP standout and National Judo Champion Eric Orbida in their -73 kg. finals encounter.
“I made Dennis (Catipon) read Orbida like a book,” the veteran mentor said. “In due time he had already mastered Orbida’s fighting style, so when we designed a formula to contain him, it clicked primarily because my player already had a grasp of his opponent’s capability.”
Arce also stressed his players’ dedication to the sport that has propelled UST to greater heights all these years.
He cited Gian Carlo Saulo as an example. Even without an athletic scholarship resulting from his belated inclusion into the regular line-up, Saulo still won the -100 kg. category with a clinical drubbing of PAN-ASIA
