NU championship is a dream come true for member of 1954 Bulldogs team

Jane Bracher

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

NU championship is a dream come true for member of 1954 Bulldogs team
"After 60 years, my dream for NU to win another championship is fulfilled," says Nestor Sapida, 78, a member of the 1954 NU championship team

MANILA, Philippines – Among the thousands of fans enjoying the glorious moment that saw National University finally fulfill their 60-year title quest, there was one man who was smiling quietly on the court at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, occasionally speaking with his wife and family, and admiring the festivities. 

The man was Nestor Sapida. He is 78 years old, and 60 years ago, he and his team gave NU its last men’s basketball title before a new breed of Bulldogs broke the decades long spell and defeated Far Eastern University for the UAAP Season 77 crown on Wednesday, October 15.

Matagal ko nang hinihintay yung pagkakataon na ito,” the still healthy and strong Sapida said. 

After 60 years, natupad naman ang pangarap ko na magkaroon ulit ng championship ang NU.” (I’ve waited so long for this to happen. After 60 years, my dream for NU to win another championship is fulfilled.)

Game 3 of the Finals was Sapida’s first time watching a UAAP game live since he played. And he couldn’t help but recall his days as a Bulldog and compare it with the present-day champions. He admitted this batch 60 years later is lucky.

Ibang iba yung noon sa ngayon,” he mused. “Ngayon ang mga players suportadong maigi ng management. Mula sa pagkain nila, allowance nila. Ako noon ang allowance ko siguro wala pang isang daan piso, kulang pa sa soft drinks.” 

(It was very different back then compared to the present. The players now are fully supported by the management. From their food to their allowance. I recall my allowance before was not more than a hundred pesos, and it wasn’t even enough for soft drinks.)

The sufficient support the school’s student-athletes are getting now gives them opportunities Sapida never had before.

Ang training namin noon akyat-baba doon sa Rizal Memorial. Itong players ngayon suportado ng management na sa ibang lugar pa minsan nag-training. Maaaring lalabas sila ng bansa. Kami noon, Iloilo lang kami, sa Manila Hotel pa yun.”

(Our training before was just running up and down the Rizal Memorial. These current players supported by the management get to train in different places. They even go out of the country. In our time, we just went to Iloilo, at the Manila Hotel.)

It was only in 2008, when SM’s Sy family acquired majority stake of the school, that NU finally had a solid financial backer so they were able to put together a more stable sports program. Before then, NU was not as competitive and titles were few and far between. In men’s basketball, particularly, they were perennial cellar dwellers and even their 1954 championship took 16 years to materialize.

Having financial support yielded quick results as the Bulldogs have claimed titles in volleyball, badminton, baseball, basketball, and cheerdance over the past few years.

However, it wasn’t just full management support that spelled the difference between then and now. 

Sapida, who was a rookie center during their 1954 title romp, said the game itself has changed entirely. 

Masyadong malalaki ang players ngayon. Noong panahon ko isa na ako sa pinakamalaki noong time na yun,” he explained, also noting the different between this champion team from his, who coincidentally also battled against FEU. 

Hindi masyado kami ma-depensa noon. Kalaban rin namin noon FEU. Mahirap kalaban ang FEU. Hindi lumampas ng lima ang lamang namin noon. Ngayon malakas ang depensa ng NU.”

(The players are very big nowadays. During my time I was already one of the tallest players. We weren’t much of a defensive team before. We played against FEU as well. FEU was a very tough opponent. We never led by more than 5. This time, NU’s defense is superb.)

Sapida’s presence was very much welcome for the younger Bulldogs, whom head coach Eric Altamirano said were inspired by his words when he spoke to the team moments before Game 3. The jitters must have been palpable when Sapida spoke to them in the locker room, so he told them to settle down.

Pinagsalita ako, sabi ko maging matatag lamang sila. Huwag sila magpabaya. Pag nakalamang sila, tuloy tuloy lang. Huwag nilang hahayaan ang inyong depensa.” (I was asked to speak and I said they must stay strong. They mustn’t relax. When they get the lead, just keep on pushing. Don’t let go of the defense.)

Sapida eventually became the team captain in his final year at NU in 1957 but didn’t pursue basketball after colege. Instead he worked on his farms, which included a sugar cane plantation, and jetted between Mindanao and the US. 

He admits he had been watching NU’s games on TV, hoping each year the team’s fortunes would change. 

Ako naman pag nalalamangan sila iniiwanan ko muna, sumasama loob ko. Pagka nakakabawi, babalik ulit ako para mapanood.” (When they’re getting beat, I stop watching because I feel bad. When I see they’re fighting back, I come back and watch again.)

As more people wanted to take photos with the man who is possibly the lone surviving member of that 1954 team, Sapida had one parting message for NU to look forward to next year.

Posible magkaroon ng back-to-back.” (It’s possible to win back-to-back.) – Rappler.com

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!