University of the Philippines (UP) students rejoice as the UP Fighting Maroons advance to the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Basketball Finals after a long wait. The team made their first Final Four appearance in 21 years, and after their 89-87 win last November 28 (Wednesday) against the Adamson Soaring Falcon, they secured their spot in the Finals after 32 years.
The hashtag for those showing their UP Pride, #AtinTwo, comes from team captain Paul Desiderio’s “Atin ‘to!” Some say that Desiderio truly willed their victory into existence. Since then, this has become UP’s battle cry. By using the word “atin,” the presumed victory is collective and inclusive to all related parties. As typical competitions go, Adamson had a retort to their battle cry – #AminTwo. With this, they are claiming the victory of the game. It’s all lighthearted competitiveness as many Iskolars remember that 2 years ago, the drummers of Adamson and University of the East (UE) paid tribute to the UP Ped Squad.
On the day of the game, Araneta Coliseum was completely full with supporters of both teams. This match in particular was widely watched remotely through various means. Many people took time off their regular routine (classes, work, etc.) just to get an update on the score. There are some venues on UP campuses with the means to view the match. Some even set up a way to live stream the game, allowing large numbers of students to witness it. In various platforms, many uploaded videos captured how students, alumni, and fans reacted on the moment they knew that the Fighting Maroons would make it to the finals.
Because it has been long since the Fighting Maroons have achieved such feat, many have resorted to social media to talk about it in usual Filipino humor. The topics has truly been the talk of everyone, trending in different social media platforms. There’s been a Twitter trend of sorts where people shared how long ago it was from their own perspective. Some shared that the last time it happened, they weren’t even born yet, or that it was their parents who were in college in that time. Students are also celebrating that UP is exempted no more, saying that this is the only instance where they’d be glad to not be exempted from the finals.
The UAAP Basketball Finals now comes between the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the UP Fighting Maroons. This is yet another historical moment as this is the first time that the two teams fight for the championship. The schedule of the final match, popularly dubbed as the “Battle of Katipunan,” is as follows:
Game 1: December 1 (Saturday), 3:30 P.M. at the Mall of Asia Arena
Game 2: December 5 (Wednesday), 3:30 P.M. at the Araneta Coliseum
(if necessary)
Game 3: December 8 (Saturday), 3:30 P.M. at the Mall of Asia Arena
The battle hashtags now are #UPFight and #OneBigFight. Make sure to secure your tickets early as they sell out quite fast. Whichever university you’re from, this game is surely not one to miss!
