INTRODUCTION

PEOPLE
Yano
Romeo Lee
Manny Villar
Nur Misuari
Benjie Paras
Dino Ignacio
Eraserheads
Jerry Barican
Obet Verzola
Jessica Zafra
Zider Lubiano
Myla Algarme
Gary Granada
Raymond Red
Mike Defensor
Jerome Bailen
Eric Altamirano
Amante Jimenez
Miriam Defensor
Malou Mangahas

ISSUES
ID
UAAP
STFAP
US Bases
Collegian
Frat Violence
SAMASA split
SR controversy
Sexual Harassment

Even if UP notoriously excels in academics, it seems, however, that it has to do some catching up in the field of athletics.

Athletes of rival universities appear to possess athletic prowess; but the Fighting Maroons seem to lack proficiency in this quality. Had the Fighting Maroons peformed well in the UAAP Games, we could have saved our asses from burning humiliation.

Sadly, the bid for the UAAP championship has been downplayed by the minimal number of triumphs that the Fighting Maroons have gained throughout the years. In the '70s, a series of championships was accorded to the athletes. But it was only in 1983 when we garnered the over-all championship in the UAAP. The victory, however, was shared with the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigers in a rare tie.

In 1986, the Fighting Maroons' basketball team, led by Benjie Paras and Ronnie Magsanoc, landed a first place finish in the championship. Though the victory was not shared by the other UP teams, it encouraged the improvement of the university's ailing sports program. The UP Administration supported the athletes by subsidizing their tuition fees, allowing them to use dormitories and training facilities, and providing intensive academic assistance. They also employed veteran coaches and support personnel to aid the athletes in their training.

But the '90s in particular, witnessed only one victory from the athletes when they snatched the over-all championship from the UST Golden Tigers, who virtually kept the title for some time, in February 25, 1998. Seven teams emerged as top finishers in their respective sports such as table tennis (women), judo (women), badminton (men and women), swimming (men and women), and lawn tennis (men). With a ten-point advantage against the Golden Tigers, the Fighting Maroons clinched the title, while the De La Salle University Green Archers lagging behind by fifteen points. After a long wait of fifteen years, the athletes had finally tasted the grand prize.

The victorious feat, however, was not sustained in the succeeding years. It was clear that the victory was rather short-lived and temporary.

As of this year, the athletes' dismal showing last semester offered little hopes of bagging the championship. Players complained of facility shortage and insufficient practice time for their training. They also complained about overlapping of practice schedules and delays in their scholarship privileges.

But a quick turn around in the athletes' performance happened this semester, promising a highly competitive fight in the offing. The teams that are claiming point-advantages over rival teams are softball (women), tennis (men) table tennis (men and women), swimming (men and women), and baseball (men). The entire UP community is watching at the sidelines, egging them on to continue the winning streak.

For even if sports is not exactly UP's cup of tea, as shown in the Fighting Maroons' dismal performance over the years, it does not exactly translate to a seeming hopelessness in clinching the championship title. After all, UP Diliman is still the melting pot of multi-talented students who can prove themselves in the academe and sports arenas alike.