THE UST Tiger Jins asserted their dominance in their UAAP Season 86 men’s kyorugi tournament opener at the Marikina Sports Center on Tuesday, Nov. 28, winning against the University of the Philippines and De La Salle University.
The Tiger Jins, the silver medalists in Season 85, opened the day crushing UP (6-1), before whipping DLSU in their second game (4-3).
UST zoomed to three straight wins after Tiger Jins Aljen Aynaga, Rommel Pablo and Legolas Peñaredondo bested their UP foes Stephen Sales (1-6, 7-6, 8-1), Vince Yango (4-0, 8-5) and Lois Manalaysay (10-8, 3-1).
The Fighting Maroons averted a sweep after Alexander Ogoy dealt UST’s Aron Baynagan a 0-13, 5-1, 12-0 loss.
Tiger Jin John Pasion routed UP’s Kyle Laroya to seal UST’s first victory, 2-2, 5-1.
UST veterans Justin Agno and Israel Cantos, a bronze medalist in the 2021 SEA Games, also defeated their respective foes in the sixth and seventh matches to round out UST’s 6-1 win over UP.
“Their performance, majority naman maganda that’s why we won,” UST head coach Gershon Bautista told the Varsitarian. “But ‘yung iba, kailangan pang magising. Hindi pa up to what we expect ‘yung performances of some of the players and we expect them to be ready and to wake up for the following matches.”
Bautista’s sentiment proved true in UST’s second match where the Tiger Jins had to outmuscle DLSU and eke out a 4-3 victory.
The Tiger Jins were leading 3-2 after Pasion demolished Ron de la Llarte in the fifth match, 11-3, 11-0.
However, DLSU’s Einz Aricayos denied Tiger Jin Agno, 4-4, 10-11, 6-3, to tie the game at 3-all.
Cantos then came up clutch, outlasting Green Archer Mark Gacilos,12-10, 10-11.
The Tiger Jins will conclude their Season 86 kyorugi campaign with three games left to play today, Nov. 29, at the same venue.
