ORGANIZERS of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines have moved the judo and taekwondo events to the second semester, restored the staging of the high school baseball tournament and will introduce secondary boys’ lawn tennis events into their calendar.
Rescheduling judo and taekwondo to the second half of the school year, organizers said, will help decongest the league’s calendar of events in the first semester.
On the other hand, bringing back the secondary boys’ baseball games will allow the league to improve its high school sports program, and so will the introduction of boys’ lawn tennis in their roster of events.
“This is about aligning our programs in college, as it needs a grassroots’ program also. This needs a developmental program from high school. And this allows athletes to move up in level, when they go to college,” said Rev. Fr. Rodel Cansancio, OP, UAAP Board of Managing Directors’ president.
Cansancio said this after this year’s host University of Santo Tomas, also officially unveiled the league’s theme song on Wednesday.
League officials talked about the coming season during a launch at the UST’s Dr. Robert Sy Grand Ballroom in Espana, Manila.
Singer and former Calla Lilly frontman Kian Cipriano introduced the league’s new theme song, “Strength in Motion, Hope in Action,” when he sang it at the launch.
The university will officially launch Season 88 with a grand opening ceremony on September 19 at the UST Grandstand and Open Field.
Action in the basketball games will commence on Sept. 20 and 21 at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
