The launch of the NCAA Season 96 took place last June 13, 2021, with non-contact sports set to play--Online chess and Taekwondo. The league also held a skills challenge for basketball and volleyball players focused mainly on the alumni of the varsity teams. The NCAA ruled out the holding of full-contact sports due to the COVID Pandemic in strict compliance with the rules and regulations of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
To push through with Season 96, the NCAA had to innovate and create a new format in its sports competition to safely comply with government policies, rules, and regulations. Foremost among the selected events for the season was taekwondo where the Arellano University’s men’s team landed 3rd overall in Speed kicking (Senior Men’s Division). In the bantamweight division, Arellano bagged the gold medal (1st place), scoring an average of 6.583 points, represented by the university’s Stanley Roy Y. Laguio, followed by San Sebastian College (6.442 points) for 2nd place, and San Beda University (6.383 points) for 3rd place. For the featherweight division, Kint Khelly Tarucan conquered 2nd place in the final rankings, as well as Michael Noel Boncales, in the lightweight division. The university’s Christian Dave M. Tyrus and Terence Y. Ciriaco secured 3rd place for the welterweight and middleweight divisions, respectively.
In the Junior Speed kicking heavyweight division, Arellano University’s Joshua Lyndon A. Dionio secured a lone gold (1st place), beating San Beda University’s Jian Alden Arceo (2nd place), and Colegio San Juan de Letran’s Bill Rolan Dela Cruz (3rd place).
The Arellano women’s taekwondo team also kept pace with the men in this year’s Speed kicking event, securing an overall 2nd place, with Paulene Gaye C. Rey who bagged the university’s lone gold medal, with a score of 6.508 in the lightweight division alongside her lady chief companion Francis Claire Apuya landing in 3rd place, scoring 6.250. Coming in 2nd place, bringing equal distinction to the university, Catherine Joy P. Vicente represented the school in the finweight division and Beverly Michelle M. Bandiola in the heavyweight division. For the middleweight division, Lady Chief Kezia A. Eustaquio secured 3rd place.
There was no doubt that the Chiefs would be heading home victorious in both men’s and women’s taekwondo despite the limitations imposed by the pandemic. As stated by the Taekwondo head coach Carlos Jose J. Padilla V., aside from the threat of COVID 19, the other challenges the players faced were “adapting to training online and having online classes at the same time”. Given these harsh conditions, he ends his statement proud and inspired by the players, “but at the end of the day they still managed to do it” he says. This only goes to show the grit and determination of the Chiefs to achieve and succeed under any condition imposed on them.
Photo by: GMA Sports PH @gmasportsphÂ
#NCAASeason96Â | Here is the overall team standings in Taekwondo: Women's Division.
 
Photo by: GMA Sports PH @gmasportsphÂ
#NCAASeason96Â | Here is the overall team standings in Taekwondo: Seniors Division.
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