By Fonz Bautista

By Alexia Bangayan

The Ateneo Blue Eagles concluded their campaign in the Private Schools Athletic Development Association (PRADA) 2026 Badminton Tournament Juniors Division after falling to Xavier School San Juan (XSSJ) on Saturday, March 7, at the Centro Atletico badminton courts.

The team opened the competition with a decisive 31–16 win by Jerome Caluya in the first singles match against Marist School’s Darren Jaime, followed by Quito Ongpin’s commanding 31–16 victory in the second singles against Drew De Leon.

The doubles pair of Ben Felizardo and Nate Labre, however, was defeated by the Marist duo of Gio Del Castillo and Martin Villarin, 23–31. 

The Eagles regained momentum in their matchup against Don Bosco Technical Institute (DBTI) as Caluya edged Ronela Caceres in a tense 31–29 singles match. The pair of Felizardo and Labre followed with a strong 31–23 doubles victory against Aeirald Cunanan and Troy Rayman, and Ongpin sealed the sweep with a 31–17 tally over Sean Elijah Cabanlet.

However, the team lost its grip against longtime executioners XSSJ as Felizardo fell 8–31 in the opening singles match against Aj Fedillaga. The doubles of Ongpin and Labre also came up short, falling to Justin King and Will Ty, 17–31.

In the non-bearing singles match, Caluya fought hard against Syd Riley Ogay, but lost, 24–31, ending the team’s tournament run.

Reflecting on the experience, Felizardo recalled their coach saying, “Pagod na kayong matalo ng Xavier,” which motivated them to win even more, especially for the seniors.

Despite the loss, Felizardo described the tournament as a “very memorable experience.”

He explained that his motivation mostly came from his teammates, stating ‘‘If I didn’t want to win for myself, I wanted to win for the team,’’ and that the brotherhood they shared was very special to him.

Felizardo admitted that saying goodbye to his seniors Caluya and Labre next athletic year will feel bittersweet. “Now we’ll train with the juniors and aim to win the championship next year,’’ he added, noting that although he was closer to the seniors, he still has his teammates alongside him.

Looking ahead, Felizardo said the team plans to rebuild and grow stronger next season, following their coach’s advice to build a new brotherhood with the juniors. He added that they aim to improve their performance to pursue a gold medal next athletic year.