THEY reigned on the table courts in the early 80’s, sweeping the UAAP table tennis title for six straight years. As if those were not enough, they even broke their own record of consecutive championships after staging winning straight championships from 1990 to 1997. A historic feat, no doubt. But in the wake of UST’s loss in the 1996 finals that ended the Growling Tigers’ UAAP basketball reign, the UST Paddlers’ unparalleled victory almost went unnoticed.
The Golden Smashers, composed of National Team players Henberd Ortalla and Jackson Que, Ray Aballe, and Joselito Paragua, had never achieved the royal stature the “four-peat” Tigers had during those times. There were no pep rallies thrown in their behalf. Classes were not suspended. And the promised incentive of an out-of-town trip did not materialize for the prize-winning squad, while similar trips were granted to the male and female cagers and the Tiger Spiker.
“Nalungkot talaga kami kasi hindi natuloy,” Ortalla, now coach of the Tiger Paddlers, said. “Hindi rin masisisi kasi sa Pilipinas may mentalidad tayo na sikat ang basketball. Sa UAAP, hindi natin maikakaila na main event talaga ang basketball.”
At the end of the year, the Isaac Deita-coached table smashers were presented with Benavides Awards for their significant contribution to UST’s rich sporting tradition. A cash prize of P15,000 was also divided among the four players and their coach.
Lucky No. 7
Discipline and dedication were key factors in the Paddlers’ victory.
Ortalla recalled that the team had no stringer so he was forced to play even if wound from an operation to avoid default in the 1996 finals.
“Sabi ng kalaban ko noon, ‘pabubukahin ko iyong sugat mo’,” Ortalla, the back-to-back MVP, told the Varsitarian. “But he failed. I won that match.”
UST led the eight-team field with an impressive 21-1 win-loss card, while the University of the Philippines finished bridesmaid at 18-9. The Tiger Paddlers then notched their seventh consecutive victory and 17th championship in the league.
“We really were a tough team to beat because most of us were from the RP team,” Ortalla said.
In 1995, UST dominated the competition, followed by University of the East and Far Eastern University. The men’s squad gave up only one match in the elimination round. Association of Southeast Asian Nations stalwart Que registered straight-set triumphs against UP, FEU, De La Salle University, and National University, and a 3-1 win against UE.
The key to the “six-peat”
For coach and then assistant PE director Deita, loyalty and discipline were the main reasons behind the UST Paddlers’ success. His players practiced even without him and voluntarily joined tournaments for exposure.
In 1983, UST Paddlers Michael Ngo, George Ang, Robert Chang, and Anthony Co smashed FEU, 3-1, at the Ateneo gym to win the UAAP table tennis crown and extend their feat to a six-year monopoly.
UE, the team responsible for UST’s lone defeat during the eliminations, backed out of the tournament after some of its players reportedly lost their eligibility.
UST’s fearsome lineup had been heavily favored to bag the sixth crown. Composed of Gintong Alay, 1983 Southeast Asian Games, and Tokyo World table tennis champions Ngo and Eustaquio Santelices, the Golden Smashers were a sure hit in the table courts.
Even without national players in this year’s batch, coach Ortalla said that he could already see his wards defending their UAAP crown.
“Masipag sila and the off season tournaments helped them a lot,” he said. “Okay lang kung matalo sila sa ibang games, huwag lang sa UAAP.”
With the coach’s supervision and the players’ dedication, the Tiger Paddlers have been enjoying the UAAP crown for four consecutive years and are on their way, perhaps, to a longer title reign.
