Table Tennis Varsity Competes in the Biggest Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Tournament in the Philippines
Selected high school players from the MGC New Life Christian Academy (MGCNLCA) table tennis varsity competed in the Home Court Ayala Malls Manila Bay-PTTF Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Challenge last August 30. Although none of the players qualified for the next round, the team regards this tournament as a valuable learning experience.
“While the results showed we were lacking, it was still a good experience. From the beginning, our team joined this tournament not to win but to gauge where we were according to the standards of the collegiate teams and recruited players,” said table tennis team captain Caden Ching. “Taking this experience, our coaching team now knows what we lack and what strengths we have to match the standard and even go beyond. What we want is that in a few years…we will be able to advance to the next level of competition and skill.”
The Philippine Table Tennis Federation Inc. hosted 50 schools and 600 players from different leagues, making this the largest intercollegiate and interscholastic tournament in the country.
The first team of the boys’ division consisted of Ching, Vaughn Cawaon, and Lance Ngo, while the second team had Theodore Mancilla, Raphael Co, and Nigel Ang. In the girls' division, the first team consisted of Rhian Hang, Reese Hang, and Samantha Young, while Team 2 included Gwyneth Recato-Dy, Abbie Gail Ang, and Ariane Hernandez.
Other participating schools in the group bracket include the University of Santo Tomas, San Beda University, De La Salle Zobel, Adamson University, and many other top schools.
The games were conducted on a first-to-two-wins basis, where only one team from each bracket would advance to the next round. All MGCNLCA teams fought hard to stay in the tournament. However, with top players from universities all over the country grouped in the same bracket, none qualified for any of their groups.
As the first tournament of the school year, the competition highlighted areas where the table tennis varsity can improve. Competing at a collegiate level so early in the season serves as a valuable stepping stone, allowing the players to improve their skills and better prepare for upcoming tournaments.
