By Solei Vasquez

The Ateneo Blue Eagles’ secondary boys singles campaign ignited at the Quezon City Division Meet, where Simeon Jerome Caluya and Jose Enrique Ongpin brought polished play as they took on the fiercest rackets the division had to offer from November 15 to 16 at the Belarmino Sports Complex.

Caluya opened his campaign by making an intimidating impression on his opponents in Round 1 as he started slowly, then gradually dumped attacks over Carlos Miguel Benipayo (City 4) with deep pushes to the backcourt to secure a 21–16, 21–7 sweep.

He established his presence better in the quarterfinals against Gilboy Alexander (City 5), who stacked overwhelming points midgame, but Caluya quickly recovered and claimed a 21–13, 21–19 win that punched his ticket to the semifinals.

Facing former teammate Jhon Micheal De Lima (District 7) in the semis, Caluya entered the court with familiarity and caution, aware of his opponent’s strength but confident in the growth he had built through months of disciplined training.

“He was my old teammate who I know is somewhat stronger than me, so there were a bit of doubts and uncertainty,” Caluya said.

He added that there were times when he was able to read De Lima’s next shots, but he was unable to get them back, prompting his loss in the semis 13-21, 8-21.

“Looking forward, I will continue to train harder together with my coaches and the team, making sure to polish [our] strokes, up our physical conditioning, and also [be] able to play well under pressure,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ongpin also delivered a spirited campaign, starting with a powerful Round 1 win over Timothy Yves Nollora (City 3) as he fought through momentum swings to capture a thrilling 21–18, 15–21, 21–18 decision.

In the quarterfinals, Ongpin engaged in a grueling three-setter against Billy Joel Lamayo (City 4), unleashing explosive smashes and persistent retrievals before cramping limited his mobility in the closing stretch, eventually falling 21–17, 19–21, 12–21.

He admitted that ending the run with an injury left him unsatisfied, yet he remained steadfast in believing he would return next year stronger, healthier, and ready to chase gold.

“At the end of the day, I know that I will be able to come back from this. Eventually, I’ll be able to come back to this tournament again next year and be able to win gold. ‘Yon ang goal,” Ongpin expressed.

Looking ahead, they will channel the lessons from this tournament into training for their next challenges — the Philippine Athletic Youth Association (PAYA) Aspirants and the Private Schools Athletic Development Association (PRADA) — aiming to come back stronger.