UP Maroons find huge backer in Ateneo alumnus

MANILA, Philippines – In sports, rivalries run deep.

When it comes to collegiate basketball, especially in the UAAP,  animosity isn’t unheard of when rival schools face off and supporters try to drown each other out with their respective cheers and chants in a jam-packed stadium.

Among those rival teams are the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the UP Fighting Maroons – whose physical proximity has gained their matchup the moniker of “The Battle of Katipunan”. The competition on the court has only increased over the years, with the latter establishing themselves as a powerhouse along with their Katipunan neighbor.

But since 2017, one Ateneo alumnus has jumped the fence and is supporting his alma mater’s foe.

JJ Atencio of Januarius Holdings, is a graduate of Ateneo de Manila but pulled a 180 when he chose to support the Fighting Maroons as the team’s outfitter with his subsidiary STATS Technical Sportswear.

Not only that, he’s also been sponsoring the team’s overseas training in recent years.

As UP and STATS renewed their partnership with a contract signing on Friday at the UP Executive House, Atencio bared how it all started for this topsy-turvy affair.

“First of all, I think a lot of you know that I did not study in UP. So this thing is special for me. But kasi, this involvement started when I couldn’t say no to two people. One of them is past UP president Danny Concepcion. And you know, nobody can ever say no to a UP president, even if you are not a UP graduate,” Atencio quipped.

“But then when I started meeting [people]… Coach Bo [Perasol] was there at the first meeting, and then Nowhere to go but UP, si Renan, so these bunch of guys are very nice, and they’re very real.”

At the time, UP was only rebuilding its image as a contender for the Final Four. But with Atencio’s vision, he saw the potential in the program that would eventually lead to the team’s drought-ending championship in UAAP Season 84.

“I thought that the best way for any team to become a winner is to do training. That’s why we started out this training which I’m happy to note has been ongoing for the past years, and it has shown itself to be a formidable weapon to remain competitive and stay on top,” said Atencio.

But for the sports patron, it wasn’t just about everything that he and his brand gained on the court. Rather, he also treasured the connections that he has made so far. 

“[Y]ou know, I’ve made so many friends in UP as a result of our involvement in basketball, in particular, I have a lot of friends now in NowheretogobutUP, and I think it’s this kind of friendship that keeps us going,” he said.

NowheretogobutUP is an alumni group in UP Diliman that works to generate corporate sponsorship and fundings for the varsity teams in UP.

Approaching the new season, STATS promised tech in their sportswear that would guarantee an even better experience for the Fighting Maroons.

“For the past years, I’ve been developing a silhouette for longevity and durability so, kunwari naghahatakan sila sa court, it won’t tear, and then the moisture absorbs more this time,” said STATS CEO Edrin Panganiban.

“So meron kaming newly developed fabric for the back na talagang it will hold and then we have new tech for the construction of the arm holes and the neck holes… Making it more easy to move, and then yun, so, hopefully it will be good for the rest of the game,” he added.

For their part, UP Office for Athletics and Sports Development Director Bo Perasol and UP Men’s Basketball Team coach Christian Luanzon underscored the importance of such support from STATS in pursuing their dreams of a championship this season.

“When we were opening games during the season, naghahanap pa kami ng uniporme non, no? And ngayon, sa supporta ng STATS at ng Januarius Holdings, hindi na iniisip ng mga coaching staff yung mga support, like yung mga training na sinasabi nga natin na abroad.” said Perasol, who also coached the UP Fighting Maroons some years ago.

“It’s critically important, yung support, not even the alumni but tulad ni Sir JJ non-alumni. It just goes to show that the program, as much as what people see are the products are the players, but behind the scenes is just as important or maybe more important because this program wouldn’t run without them. And tulad nito, yung recent trip namin to Korea, what the players gained there is the experience,” added Luanzon.

-Not just basketball-

While UP's basketball team have been enjoying the support of STATS in recent years, UP OASD Director Perasol also revealed that other squads will be benefiting from the partnership as STATS will be outfitting some other UP teams.

“Initially this was just between the UPMBT and the STATS. But this year, JJ extended his generosity to our other varsity teams. Meaning that they will also be giving them uniforms to some particular teams na nangangailangan din ng tulong natin. With that, napakalaking morale booster ito para sa ating mga teams na sasabihin nilang meron na kaming branded na apparel na sumusuporta sa kanila,” said Perasol.

According to the UP OASD, among teams that will benefit are chess, badminton, track and field and tennis.

In the general championship race of UAAP Season 86, UP finished third overall as various other varsity  teams excelled as well in the year-long UAAP hostilities.

The school will be the host of the new UAAP season set to unfurl in the first week of September.