SPORTS | PUP Radicals sweep athletics and taekwondo titles, endure mixed campaign at 27th UniGames

Carrying heavy expectations following back-to-back overall championship finishes in the 25th and 26th editions of the Philippine University Games (UniGames), the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Radicals wrapped up their run in Kalibo, Aklan, Oct. 24-30, with mixed fortunes.

Track and field’s 100-medal haul and taekwondo’s dual-division title defense headlined the Radicals’ run, marking PUP’s only team championships of the meet.

Radicals rule track and field competition

The men’s athletics team garnered 39 medals with 19 gold, eight silver, and 12 bronze. Meanwhile, the women’s squad bagged 61 medals, including 25 gold, 20 silver, and 16 bronze, as every female athlete landed a podium finish in every event entered.

Francis Jerome Jamero and Pamela Torre spearheaded PUP’s track and field dominance, capturing three gold medals apiece. Jamero ruled the men’s 110-meter hurdles, long jump, and triple jump, while Torre went the distance to sweep the women's 1,500-meter, 3,000-meter, and 5,000-meter runs. 

Michelle Genturalez and Kate Airan Gevero further showcased the women’s depth, collecting multiple gold and silver medals across the meet.

Fortitude in taekwondo

The Radicals cemented their mat dominance as the women’s taekwondo team clinched its third consecutive championship and the men secured back-to-back titles.

Under coaches Angelito Laga and Sydney Darryl Crispino, PUP collected 26 individual Kyorugi and Poomsae medals, with 15 gold, eight silver, and three bronze, topping their 18-medal performance from the 2025 meet in Bacolod City.

Fell short in basketball titles

Defending champion PUP failed to reach the men's 5x5 final after an 85-76 semifinal loss to the Enderun Titans, but salvaged bronze by routing STI-West Negros University 82-62.

In the women’s 3x3 basketball tournament, Lady Radicals fielded two squads that met contrasting fates in the knockout stages. 

PUP A fell to De La Salle University-Dasmariñas (DLSU-Dasma) 16-15 in the semifinals before dropping a 14-13 decision to the University of San Agustin-Iloilo (USA-Iloilo) in the battle for third. 

PUP B advanced to the championships after defeating USA-Iloilo 21-15 in the semifinals to book a finals berth. However, PUP B settled for silver after falling to a 21-18 defeat against DLSU-Dasma in the final.

Football and futsal squads’ missed podium 

Coming off a 26th UniGames championship victory over the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R), the men’s football team got off to a rocky start by suffering a 2-0 loss to the University of St. La Salle (USLS).

The defending champions quickly recovered, routing Aklan Catholic College (ACC) 7-1 and edging Holy Cross of Davao College (HCDC) 2-1 to finish the group stage at 2-1 and qualify for the knockout round.

PUP started the knockouts with a 3-0 victory over Foundation University (FU), but Central Philippine University (CPU) ended the Radicals’ title defense with a 3-0 shutout. Sent to the third-place match, the Radicals absorbed another 2-0 defeat to finish fourth. 

On the futsal pitch, the women’s team started with a 5-0 rout over CPU before suffering a 5-1 defeat against the State University of Northern Negros. The Lady Radicals bounced back in their final group-stage match, shutting out ACC 6-0 to finish pool play 2-1.

After a high-scoring group stage, the Lady Radicals found themselves in a much tighter contest in the semifinals against HCDC. PUP battled for a 1-1 draw in regulation before falling in the penalty shootout 3-1, missing out on the final. 

Penalty heartbreak struck again in the bronze medal match against FU. After another 1-1 deadlock in regulation, PUP suffered a 3-2 defeat in the shootout as FU's goalkeeper made crucial saves to deny the Radicals a podium finish.

Indoor volleyball quarters reached, beach playoffs missed

PUP's men's and women's indoor volleyball teams both rode strong elimination-round campaigns into the playoffs before suffering quarterfinal exits.

The men's squad opened pool play with three straight-set sweeps over Saint Louis College, Iloilo Doctors’ College, and Center for Development Programs in the Cordillera. 

However, the Radicals suffered their first setback against UNO-R in a five-set thriller (20-25, 25-22, 21-25, 30-28, 10-15), extending the match with a gritty 30-28 fourth-set win before bowing to NCAA contender San Beda University (SBU) in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, the Lady Radicals opened with a four-set victory over Ateneo de Davao University (25-23, 25-23, 25-22, 25-23) and a straight-set sweep of STI-WNU (25-19, 25-19, 29-27) before a straight-set loss to the De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute (25-19, 25-18, 25-20). 

Their campaign likewise ended in the quarterfinals against NAASCU representative Enderun Colleges.

In beach volleyball, PUP fielded two men’s pairs in Pools C and D and one women's tandem in Pool C, though all three teams missed the knockout stages. 

Men’s pairs PUP A and PUP B both posted 2-2 cards to place third in Pool C and fourth in Pool D, respectively, while the women’s tandem went 0-2 in Pool C against a stacked field.

A Radical Conclusion

As the delegation returns from Kalibo, Aklan, the 27th UniGames leaves PUP with both milestones to celebrate and gaps to address. 

From dominant title sweeps in athletics and taekwondo to missed title defenses in basketball and football, this year’s edition served as a stark reminder of the increasingly competitive landscape in collegiate sports.

With the Universities and Colleges Premier League (UCPL) and State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association (SCUAA) on the horizon, the lessons from Western Visayas prove valuable as the Radicals regroup for their next collegiate campaigns.

Article: Nerio Uy Japos III

Graphics: Justine Ceniza