UST dominates table tennis tilt
University of Santo Tomas (UST) emerged as the overall champion in the 2025 Philippine Table Tennis Federation Inc. (PTTF) Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Challenge, bagging seven gold medals at Home Court, Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Parañaque City.
Eljey Dan Tormis led UST’s gold rush with a title in the college men’s singles after outlasting teammate Joshua Manlapaz, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, in the final.
In the high school boys’ singles, Jebb Datahan added to UST’s medal haul by stunning top-seed Emmanuel Paculba Jr. in a thrilling five-set comeback, 4-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-8.
UST also swept the doubles golds in the high school division. Anton Bayona and Jhiven Clamucha edged Adamson’s Jnash Chavez and Miguel Reyes, 11-5, 15-17, 11-6, 14-12, while Xyra Malaluan and J-An Sanchez won an all-UST girls’ final over Shaira Puentespina and Padmae Vivas, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-4.
In the college women’s doubles, Samantha Bandojo and Althea Jade Gadez of UST bested La Salle’s Kyla Cielo Bernaldez and Angelou Joyce Laude, 11-5, 10-12, 11-8, 11-6.
UST also captured gold in the college men’s team Division 1, defeating Ateneo de Manila University, 2-1, and swept Philippine Christian University-Dasmariñas, 2-0, in the high school boys’ team final.
Elsewhere, La Salle’s Angelou Joyce Laude topped the college women’s singles by beating UST’s Gadez, 11-3, 6-11, 10-12, 11-6, 11-6, while San Beda’s Mike Aguna and JD Nominador claimed the college men’s doubles over CSB’s Arvin Garcia and Kyle Quinones, 4-11, 13-11, 11-4, 6-11, 11-8.
National Academy of Sports also made its mark, with Myzette Torres winning the high school girls’ singles and the NAS girls’ team clinching the team title over UST-A.
De La Salle topped the college women’s team Division 1 over UST-A, 2-1, while De La Salle-Dasmariñas swept the Division 2 finals in both men’s and women’s team events
