The rivalry between De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University will once again ignite as the two powerhouses open their UAAP Esports VALORANT tournament campaigns against each other today (Tuesday) at Hyundai Hall in Areté, Ateneo de Manila University.
Viridis Arcus Esports, led by coach Xavier Juan, enters the tournament as the inaugural top dogs, boasting five championships.
Juan, who has made waves in the professional scene with Oasis Gaming—recent champions of the Predator League Philippines—brings his expertise and winning mentality to DLSU.
Juan, also the former team captain of Viridis Arcus Esports, is confident that his squad is the team to watch, given their history of success during his tenure as a player. However, he remains firm that the focus is on training, with the goal of adding another championship to their legacy.
“On average, we trained six hours a day. We have the best mechanics and raw talent among the other teams. Coming into the tournament, the real enemy would be ourselves,” said a resolute Juan.
In the UAAP VALORANT Tournament, the eight-team pool is divided into two groups of four. Each group will compete in a single-round robin best-of-two series, where a 2-0 win earns three points, a 1-1 series draw earns one point, and a 0-2 loss earns no points. The top two teams from each group will advance to the crossover semifinals.
La Salle is in Group A along with Far Eastern University, Adamson University, and Ateneo de Manila University. Group B includes University of Santo Tomas, University of the Philippines, National University, and University of the East.
The UAAP VALORANT Tournament kicks off with the FEU-Adamson matchup at 11:30 a.m., followed by the UP-NU and UE-UST matches. The highly anticipated DLSU-Ateneo showdown will close out the opening day.
The UAAP Esports NBA2K Tournament also begins today at 11:30 a.m. at Doreen Fernandez Black Box also at Arete, with a total of 28 matches scheduled for the day.
UP coach Al Timajo, who also serves as a coach for the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas’ E-Gilas Program, picked Ateneo and La Salle as the teams to beat but expressed confidence that his squad has what it takes to contend for the title.
“In order for us to win, we need to get as many wins as possible. Treat every game as do-or-die. Our primary goal is to secure the top two spots in each bracket. I’m prepping our guys for a UP vs. UP finals—that’s our ultimate goal. We hope and pray we can execute what we practice and achieve the outcome we envision,” Timajo said.
Fellow E-Gilas coach Nite Alparas, who is coaching Ateneo’s NBA2K team, also believes his squad is the top contender for the UAAP NBA2K crown.
“I believe the team to beat in the UAAP NBA2K is definitely Ateneo. We’ve got talented and dedicated players who put in the work and preparation for this tournament. Aside from that, we also have the support of the Ateneo community. While we respect all other teams, we are confident that we have what it takes to be on top,” Alparas expressed.
He emphasized consistency as they aim to translate their practice performance into tournament success.
“We need to be consistent with our performance, ensuring that we bring our A-game every single time. We also need to adapt because we will be facing tough opponents, and being able to adjust on the fly will be key to any challenge,” Alparas added.
Each school will send two players to participate in the UAAP NBA2K Tournament.
The 16-player field is divided into two groups of eight, competing in a single-round-robin best-of-one match. The top two from each group will advance to the semifinals.
The games will be broadcast on One Sports’ YouTube channel, Pilipinas Live, the Varsity Channel, and One Sports.
