NCAA Record: NASHSPINNER Is 5-Time MVP, Benilde Hits 5-PEAT

The Season 94 Champions: 
DLS-CSB Men's Team.

L-R: Headcoach Rudolph Palermo, Coach Susan Tayag, Marty Del Rosario, Vince Sy, Joshua Padilla, Ryan Rodney A. Jacolo, Kanes Molde, & Lance Gregor A. Jacolo. Back row: DLS-CSB ManCom Raymond Castellano.

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 Nashspinner: 5-Time NCAA MVP

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MANILA, PHI — The DLS-College of St. Benilde Blazers Men's Team,  with the 5-time Coach of the Year Rudolph Bong Palermo at the helm, is the NCAA Season 94 Table Tennis Champion (2018) for the 5th consecutive year.

NASHSPINNER sets an NCAA record by winning his 5th MVP Award powering the DLS-CSB Blazers to its historic 5-PEAT!

The Blazers were led by DLS-CSB officials Stephen Fernandez, Leonard Babiera, Raymond Castellano, and Dindo De Leon.

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The NCAA Table Tennis tournament format was patterned after the Swaythling Cup — Singles A vs X, B vs Y, Doubles, followed by 2 Crossover Singles in a race to 3 wins out of 5 possible matches.

The Finals

The Blazers overwhelmed the Knights, 3-1.

Match 1: NASHSPINNER (CSB) scored the first win in the first Singles Match beating the pimples player Pansacula (CSJL) 3 sets to 1.

Match 2: Letran's Manago took one back in the second Singles crushing Sy (CSB) in straight sets, 3-0. Team standing was even at 1-1.

Match 3: The Doubles match was the pivotal match whose outcome can very well dictate how the match will go. The Blazers Padilla & Del Rosario routed the Knights Lim & Obal 3-0, keeping the lead. Benilde was on the hill, 2-1. 

Match 4: The first Crossover Singles, NASHSPINNER (CSB) vs. Manago (CSJL). This was the Blazers' first of two chances to win. NASHSPINNER went for the kill, trouncing the Knight, 3-0,  for the championship... and the historic 5th MVP Award.

In a flash, the Blazers were thrashing on the floor in celebration.

The Semis

It was a tight squeeze through the San Beda Red Lions, 3-2. Vince Sy was the hero. 

Headcoach Bong Palermo, ever the superb tactician, made sure his 4-time MVP player, NASHSPINNER, plays the 4th slot of the 5-game contest — either to go for the kill when CSB gets on the hill first, or play fireman if the game goes south.

And south it went:

Match 1: NASHSPINNER (CSB) beat Palomares (SBC), 1-0. 

Match 2: Sy was run over by Bolante (SBC), 1-1. 

Match 3: Doubles, Blazers Padilla & Del Rosario got shot down by Pineda & Jurado, SBC up 1-2. 

Match 4: NASHSPINNER was supposed to put out the fire, but instead took a 0-2 beating from SBC's top player Bolante. Their crown hung by a thread. It looked grim for the Blazers. 

The defending champ virtually got back up from the grave, patiently clawed back point by point, set by set, until he overtook the Red Lion and won, 3-2, tying the team standings at 2-2. 

It was the day's biggest scare for the Blazers, but the game was on!

Match 5: The deciding 5th match was a do-or-die hair-raiser between Sy (CSB) and Palomares (SBC).  The protagonists were evenly matched in a seesaw battle and they were tied at 2-2. 

In the deciding game, the Blazer stared at a 3-7 deficit but proved he had a warrior's heart. He nailed the Red Lion to 7 points, streaked all the way to 11 giving his team the win and the first Finals slot.

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The NCAA Season 94 Table Tennis Championships was played at the multilevel EAC Sports Center from Sept. 1-10, 2018. The tournament was adeptly run by the Filipino ITTF International Umpire Sam Sacopla.

 Nashspinner & the JAX

2018: NASHSPINNER Rules The 4th Philippine Super League Table Tennis Championships

The 4th Philippine Super League winners (L-R):
Bronze Medalist Neo Laudato (blue),
Champion Ryan Rodney Jacolo (red),
Silver Medalist Japhet Adasa (black),
PTTF President Ting Ledesma.

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NASHSPINNER with proud father.

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Manila, PHI — Ryan Rodney Jacolo, of Team JOOLA, won the Gold Medal in the National Category (rated 2000-2400) of the 4th Philippine Superleague Table Tennis Championship which was held 

from May 11th to May 13, 2018 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.

NASHSPINNER is also currently an active Philippine National Team member and a graduating student of De La Salle - College of St. Benilde in Manila.

Road To Gold

The National Category, as expected, showcased both active and former Philippine National Team players highlighting the last day of the tournament.

SEMIFINALS. NASHSPINNER tangled with the now US-based, former #1 National Player Jon Ebuen in their first-ever official match. It was a banana flick duel most of the way, transitioning into fierce FH topspin exchanges. 

Nashspinner had a hard time reading Ebuen's shovel serve which did heavy damage and accounted for a lot of points. Ebuen's short and spinny BH flick above the table triggered interesting FH-to-FH counterspin rallies. NASHSPINNER's bread and butter shots were his spinny BH loops topped with a quick FH cross. 

In the end, match tied at 2-2, NASHSPINNER managed to squeeze through Ebuen and won the match taking one of the Finals slot.

FINALS. NASHSPINNER upended National Teammate Japhet Adasa after 5 sets of fast-paced table tennis. 

Lefty Japhet's scored the first set win, his arcing top and counterspins deadly. NASHSPINNER came back with 2 consecutive sets, taking the lead at 2-1. Japhet took the 4th set tying the match at 2-2. 

NASHSPINNER got the edge on Adasa with his beautiful, kicking, BH cross returning Japhet's down-the-line FH topspin attack, and probably made the difference in the outcome. 

About The Tournament

The tournament recorded 1,200 entries in 13 categories from beginners to the National level participated by members of the Philippine National Team in Table Tennis. 

Students had a big part in the 3-day playoffs as well. Winners were selected in the U12, Cadet, and Junior divisions earning the right to represent the country in the Junior SEATTA League which will be hosted by the Philippines in a couple of months.

15th Uni-Orient Cup: NASHSPINNER Wins Silver, Airforce Wins Bronze

The 15th Uni-Orient Interscholastic Cup winners:

Champion: Li Jiayue (Beijing University) in black/blue shirt

2nd Place: Ryan Rodney Jacolo (College of St. Benilde) in green shirt 

3rd Place: Francis Bendebel (National University) in red shirt

John Russell Misal (National University) in blue shirt

(photo courtesy of TATAND)

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Men's Open Team Event: 2nd runner-up

The Philippine Airforce Team composed of Nashspinner, 

Michael Dalumpines, Adolfo Bazar, and Leo De Leon.

(photo courtesy of TATAND)

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NASHSPINNER'S no. 1 fans

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MANILA, PHI — The recently concluded 15th Uni-Orient Cup, held on Apil 7-8, 2018 at the San Beda College was, easily, the largest Interscholastic Table Tennis Event in the Philippines. Upwards of 140 schools, 300 teams, and 1200 players participated in the tournament played on 40 tables in San Beda's two (2) basketball gyms. Throw in the coaches, parents, friends, and regular audience and we were looking at a crowd of possibly 2,000 to 3,000 people filling up the venue.

Former PBA star and currently Philippine Sports Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, Former Table Tennis World Champion Liu Wei (CHN), and Xu Zhongrong, chairman of Philippine Entertainment East Tourism Co., Ltd. graced the event with their presence. 

Watch out for the first Professional Table Tennis Training Center in the Philippines!

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Beijing Was Just Too Tough

College Men's Event. Ryan Rodney Jacolo (De La Salle - College of St. Benilde) dominated his local college counterparts to earn a spot in the Finals. He went against Li Jiayue (Beijing University) who won the Championship. The Chinese paddler, who owns a very nasty banana receive, has not given up a single set in his Manila stint. Nashspinner managed to get a deuce in a couple of sets but has never gotten over the hump. 

Li Jiayue (Beijing University) beat Bolante (San Beda College) and Bendebel (National University) to secure the first Finals slot. 

Nashspinner (De La Salle - College of St. Benilde) thwarted Bazar (University of Santo Tomas), Cabrido (De La Salle University), and Misal (National University) to take the other Finals slot.

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College Women's Event. Beijing University's Zhang Qinghua was the champion. But, Rosejean Fadol (Far Eastern University), despite losing in the Finals, almost pulled off a miracle.

It was a great start for Fadol who shocked everyone by storming to a 2-0 lead against the Chinese chopper. It was a hard-hitting first 2 sets but Rosejean was looking tough as an amazon. When she led in the 3rd set, it seemed that something impossible was about to happen. The mere possibility that a Pinay paddler was about to score a win against a Chinese player in a Table Tennis Championship Match spurred the crowd into a frenzy.

Zhang Qinghua, although looking spent, had no intention of giving up. Maybe it was the pressure of losing to a non-Chinese player, maybe it was the desire to conquer, or maybe both. She painstakingly worked point by point—played diligent defense, relentlessly killing loose balls, tenaciously countering Fadol's repeated attacks— and in a steady and painful turn of events for Rosejean, won the third set. The standing was at 1-2. 

Fadol manage to get a matchpoint at 13-12 in set #4 and the crowd erupted even louder—just a hair away from scoring an upset! But not quite, Zhang Qinghua's focus was rock solid. She took the fourth set making the match even at 2-2. 

There was electricity in the air! The deciding fifth set was full of excitement and nervousness at the same time with the crowd screaming in a mixture of elation and agony after every point. Zhang Qinghua pulled away in the midgame but Fadol clawed back, tied the set at 9-9. Everyone seemed to stop breathing...

Zhang Qinghua bombarded Fadol with all kinds of balls—hard chops, dead pushes, topspin attacks, sidespin counters— getting back the lead and, eventually, the victory. 

It was a mixture of disappointment, relief, and a lot of speculations after the match. "What if..." but as the saying goes in sports, it's not over until its over... and you can never, ever, count the Chinese out of a Table Tennis match. 

That match was certainly the tournament's clincher, nothing short of fantastic!

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The Organizers

The 15th Uni-Orient Table Tennis Interscholastic Championship was organized by the premier Table Tennis Club — TATAND. Congratulations to Mr. Charlie Lim, Mr. Philip Uy and party for the extremely successful event. 

Nothing but the best from TATAND when it comes to Table Tennis!

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NASHSPINNER IS CHAMPION. BEST OF THE BEST TABLE TENNIS 2018 - MANILA

The BEST OF THE BEST winners:

Champion: Ryan Rodney A. Jacolo

Silver Medalist: Jann Nayre

Bronze Medalists: Japhet Adasa & Isaias Seronio
Also in the picture L-R: Mr. Pong Ducanes, Atty. Panlilio
and PTTF President Ting Ledesma

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MANILA, PHI — NASHSPINNER (PHI) beat two fellow Philippine Team players to take home the Gold Medal in Men's Open Event in the recently concluded BEST OF THE BEST TABLE TENNIS held last January 26-28, 2018 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.

The Tournament

This yearly Table Tennis Event dubbed "BEST OF THE BEST", organized by the Philippine Table Tennis Federation (PTTF), is an encounter among Philippine National Team Players, UAAP/NCAA Standouts, and Promising Junior players in the country. PTTF is headed by its President, Mr. Ting Ledesma.   

Road To Victory

NASHSPINNER had to get past two fellow National Players to win the Championship.

FINALS: NASHSPINNER (PHI) vs Jann Nayre (PHI)  (watch the video)
A duel between two youngsters with similar playing styles, skill level and physical conditioning. Both are offensive players. So as expected, there were lots of good rallies in this match. Both players exhibited nice mid-distance FH counterspins. Almost all sets were close and reached deuce. And, boy, can they move fast! 

NASHSPINNER won with better attacking and blocking — a balanced all-around game. Jann Nayre, although playing strong, lost mainly due to poor reception often resulting into an error or an easy third ball for NASHSPINNER who took advantage of the first attack of the rally. 

In that match, NASHSPINNER played a classic game strategy. He kept hammering Nayre's BH side with fast loops and topspins driving him diagonally away from the table then kill him with a sudden down-the-line attack to his FH side. Nayre tried to go around the ball for a hard FH counterspin but to no avail. He was already too far off the table each time and his FH side was a wide gaping hole. 

For NASHSPINNER, it was an exercise in focus. He believed in his gameplan and stuck with it until the end ... AND WON.

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SEMIFINALS: NASHSPINNER (PHI) vs Japhet Adasa (PHI)
It was a tight squeeze through Japhet Adasa who had a fast start. Japhet was attacking, NASHSPINNER was blocking and plagued with errors. NASHSPINNER got some good serves in but getting beaten to the punch and struggling just to keep up. Japhet, his lefty sidespins wicked and confusing, was always a step ahead in the first 3 sets. Standing was at 2-1.

It was in the endgame when NASHSPINNER caught up. He started playing his spinny loops, giving up speed for more precise ball placement. And it paid. Japhet, who was playing his FH spins strong throughout the match, started missing some crucial shots and suffered for them. There was a couple of vicious rallies in the deciding last set. NASHSPINNER took the last two sets and won the Semifinals. 

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Nashspinner beat Cabrido (La Salle) in the Quarterfinals and Marcelo (La Salle) in the Round of 16.

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DLS-CSB Men's Team, 4-PEAT NCAA Table Tennis Champion. NASHSPINNER Hits 4TH Straight MVP Award

De La Salle-College of St. Benilde
The NCAA Season 93 Table Tennis Men's Team Champions.
L-R: Bro. Dennis Magbanua , Vince Sy, Yuta Tortosa, Joshua Padilla,
Serknight Benoya, Ryan Rodney Jacolo, Stephen Antiporda,
Coach Bong Palermo, Coach Susan Tayag, Coach Kenneth Cruz,
ManCom Raymond Castellano and Sports Director Stephen Fernandez.
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Manila, PHI — The defending champion De La Salle-College of St. Benilde again proved to be indestructible at the NCAA Season 93 Table Tennis Championships held at the Harrison Plaza from September 10-20, 2017.

For the 4th straight year, NASHSPINNER (Most Valuable Player), and Coach Bong Palermo (Best Coach), powered the CSB paddlers to victory.

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The Men's Team Event Finals:
Benilde x Letran 
It was a 3 out of 5 matches Team Event format.

In Match #1 (Singles), it was NASHSPINNER (CSB) against GAPAS (CSJL). It was an easy 3-1 victory for CSB.

There was a minor commotion early in the game when the Letran coach protested an umpire who gracefully inhibited himself from the match. A trivial delay which stopped the game, and bored the audience, for a few minutes. The umpire did the honorable thing in the exercise of proper ethics. The match went on smoothly.

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Match #2 (Singles) between BENOYA (CSB) and MAÑAGO (CSJL) was the hair-raiser. MAÑAGO went on a jackrabbit start and, in a butt of an eyelash, was up 2-0. The CSB leftie was miserable. Nothing was connecting. His FH attacks were out and he was losing when rallies transition into BH drilling. The Letran Knight was superb in both offense and defense. Even his fast, long service was impeccable. Everything seemed dark for the Blazer.

In the 3rd set, while fighting tooth and nail, BENOYA was barely keeping up and was just hanging on to dear life. Then, miraculously, in the endgame he got a deuce which sparked his comeback. The brave Blazer was quick to snatch the opportunity. He rained FH topspins on MAÑAGO and it started connecting where it counted the most. BENOYA got the set and closed the gap at 2-1.

Now having the momentum, BENOYA turned the tables on MAÑAGO, quickly got him on the defensive and easily took the 4th set. Just as fast as they got ahead, the Knights were suddenly looking at an even 2-2 match. That stunned the Letran bench which turned eeriely quiet and in total disarray.

The Letran Knight seemed to have recovered in the deciding 5th set. They were toe-to-toe up to the midgame when MAÑAGO dashed to 10-7. Those 3 match points, however, did not faze BENOYA a bit. Instead, he mounted an all out attack, again got a deuce, and walloped Letran with a 'BIG LEFT' for the winner. The Benilde bench erupted into a frenzy!

A big come-from-behind victory is always heady. Twice Benilde stared at the eyes of defeat but Letran failed to cash in on it. Perhaps, it was because the Blazer BENOYA never gave up, never stopped believing in his main weapon — his leftie FH topspin —  which got the Knight cornered in the endgame.

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Match #3: Doubles. The Blazers tandem was routed by the Knights 0-3. The Letran pair of an attacker and a chopper did well against a struggling Benilde duo who trailed most of the way and never got a chance to threaten the competition.

In the team standing, Benilde was up 2-1.

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Match #4 (Singles). NASHSPINNER (CSB) put away Letran in 3 straight sets. The Letran Knight MAÑAGO, still reeling from that heartbreaker defeat earlier couldn't stop NASHSPINNER from getting the 3rd win and keeping the Championship Crown for the Blazers.

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Acknowledgment
The two-week tournament ran smoothly. A great job by the organizing committee headed by Mr. Charlie Lim who was always there and on top of every situation during the tournament. Congratulations! 

This year's NCAA was hosted by Collegio de San Sebastian - Recoletos.

TABLE TENNIS: THE MAKATI MAYOR'S CUP IS BACK. NASHSPINNER GETS SILVER.

The Men's Open Event winners.
L-R: F. Bendebel (Bronze), Paul Que (Bronze), Jan Nayre (Gold) and Nashspinner (Silver).

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MAKATI, PHILS — The tournament that has become a big part of the Philippine Table Tennis community is back after almost 2 years of vacation. According to the tournament's brain, Coach Gigi Aguinalde, more than 800 participants registered in the recent 3-day event from March 10-12, 2017.

Congratulations on the successful comeback!


New Generation Players
The tournament's top event, Men's Open Event turned out to be a green pasture. Philippine Team youngsters Jan Nayre (Huaching) and Ryan Rodney Jacolo (TATAND/JOOLA) won the Gold and Silver respectively. Bronze Medalists were college varsity players F. Bendebel (Adamson U) and P. Que (UST).

Olympian Ian Lariba (TATAND) competed in the Women's Open event.


The Old Guards
Congratulations to CSB Coach Bong Palermo for bagging multiple awards. The Gold for the Mens 50 and above & the Bronze for Men's Non-rank events.

It was also good to see one of the tourmanent's pioneer participants coming back as well after a number of years absence. PTTF head Mr. Ting Ledesma led the Ateneo University contingent.


Our Special Corner 
Special mention goes to Kate Lynn Cruz (TATAND), winner of the G10 Event. We saw this kid slugging it out w/ older girls in higher age brackets. Our favorite was when she gave one of the Philippine Junior Team Member "the scare" in one of their matches.

This skinny 8-year old girl, well maybe 9 but she looks more 8 than 9, has a lot of things going for her. We know she has good ponger blood in her, both her parents are Table Tennis trainers. She has a mean finishing BH coming after a flurry of FH spins. And, she belongs to a great team that takes good care of budding Table Tennis talents.

The Binay Cup Baby Challenge comes alive!

So she got the first step up the ladder. We are all eyes and ears. Let's see what happens....

We All Missed This Tournament!

The Binay Cup, last played in the 2nd Quarter of 2015, previously peaked with more than 1,000 participants played in 3 days over 23 or more tables located in 2 floors inside the Makati Coliseum.

We missed the Makati Coliseum as well. Those familiar bleacher seats we made home during the day-long vigil cheering for our sons and daughters fighting their hearts out.

Everybody has a favorite niche in the stadium. We even saw the same faces in the same places! It was nostalgic!

There are some differences in the stadium now from 2 years ago but we do appreciate the array of cctv cams along the outer corridors.

Tournament head Coach Gigi Aguinalde was ably supported upfront by Makati Panthers Vincent & Arlene Arnibal and Erwin Reyes among others.

CONGRATULATIONS IAN LARIBA!!!

Photo courtesy of ITTF

Ian Lariba (PHI)

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HONGKONG — Ms. Ian Lariba, RP's top female Table Tennis player and a De La Salle University varsity player won the 'Golden Ticket to Rio' to qualify for the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics.

THE PHILIPPINES' 1ST TABLE TENNIS OLYMPIAN! 

Another golden opportunity for the Filipino athlete made possible thru the tireless efforts of the Table Tennis Association of the Philippines (TATAP) under the stewardship of its President, Mr. Ting Ledesma.

Ms. Ian Lariba was mentored at the Asian Olympic trials by TATAP's Korean coach Mi Sook Kwon.