A rise up the rankings is in the offing for the University of the Philippines Table Tennis Teams, as they welcomed their first-ever program head.
The Fighting Maroons placed fifth (women) and sixth (men) in the event in UAAP Season 86, but are adamant that – as always – there’s nowhere to go but up.
To make sure of that, Atty. Peter Paul Dator has extended a helping hand as program head.
“I asked Dir. Bo how I could help and he mentioned the Table Tennis Teams. That’s why I’m here.”
“I asked Dir. Bo how I could help and he mentioned the Table Tennis Teams. That’s why I’m here,” he said during his formal introduction on Monday at the University Hotel in Diliman, referring to UP Office for Athletics and Sports Development Dir. Bo Perasol.
Dator is a proud product of UP Diliman who has no history with the sport, but is nonetheless taking on the challenge of overseeing State U’s Table Tennis Teams head-on.
“However I can help, I’ll do it.”
“‘Di ko talaga siya nilalaro, but I know how it’s played. It just so happened lang talaga na when I asked Bo, ito ang sinabi niya and ako naman, however I can help, I’ll do it,” said Dator, also one of the incorporators of the nowheretogobutUP Foundation.
Gerlou Flores and Richard Ching will remain head coach for the women’s and men’s squads, respectively.
The position of program head is seen to lighten the burden of head coaches who could then simply focus on mentoring their players.
“To get to our goal, which is the general championship, we will need much help to make sure all our teams and programs are competitive,” said Perasol.
Perasol himself is a success story on how having a program head can make a big difference. After ceding men’s basketball team shot-calling duties to Goldwin Monteverde, he was able to concentrate on gaining allies and partners to ensure the contention of the Fighting Maroons from the recruitment and development front all the way to the court itself.
In the same light, all Monteverde needed to do was what he did best: coach — and the setup paid immediate dividends with State U’s first championship since 1986.
Now as athletic director, Perasol is hoping to replicate the same formula for success; with Joey Torres (tennis), Mike Asuncion (baseball), Francine Longid (taekwondo), Eloi Hernandez (pep drummers), and now, Dator all lending helping hands.
