Dasig, De Leon bag bronze title for PH in int’l water polo championships

Article by: Setheleh Liam G. Ramos

Graphics by: Crismhil S. Anselmo

Photo: Courtesy of Mr. Jijo de Guzman

Making international waves, Mapúa University Swimming Team (MUST) student-athletes Matthew Cameron Dasig and Elijah Caleb De Leon represented the Philippines as members of the National Junior Men’s Water Polo Team that clinched bronze against Kusuma Harapan Indonesia in the 60th Malaysia Invitational Under-20 Men’s Water Polo Championships at the National Aquatic Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia held from April 18 to 20, 2025.

Cutting through the waters, De Leon, nearing the end of his first-year tenure under the Philippines (PH) Water Polo Juniors team, claimed the title of Most Valuable Player (MVP) in their win against the Indonesian delegation, securing their second wind for bronze after losing to top contenders Malaysia A and Malaysia B.        

“‘Yung mga mistakes namin from our previous loss, ‘yun talaga nagdala sa amin na parang i-improve pa lalo ‘yung teamwork namin [...] luckily, d’un din nagkataon na nakuha ko [rin] ‘yung MVP award,” De Leon shared how the team managed to overcome their Indonesian opponents.

In preparing for the competition, the PH Under-20 water polo team focused on training their mentality, in which they emphasized trying to stand their ground against international powerhouses such as the Malaysian teams over participating for the sake of experience, along with improving coordination and individual skills.

As De Leon nears the end of his first year under the team, he shares his most valuable experiences throughout his current tenure, “‘Yung naging most valuable learning experience talaga is ‘yung chemistry namin sa team, [...] we are thirteen players sa isang team. We have different personalities, we have different thoughts, and feelings."

Despite having to endure rigorous training almost every day, De Leon makes sure that his academics are not left behind, sharing that he uses time management skills to balance the two aspects of his life, noting that it was also another learning experience for him as a student-athlete.

Making it to the national team, De Leon expressed his gratitude for the support he has received, citing the MU Senior High School department and principal, Ms. Charlotte N. Monteiro, the MUST, and noting especially MUST Coach Carding for introducing him to the world of water polo. “…lahat ng ito hindi mangyayari without him,” De Leon shared.

Moreover, Dasig and De Leon, alongside Sean Gabriel Enero, is also part of the national delegation for the Water Polo Team in the 47th SEA Age Group Championships currently taking place in Singapore on June 19 to 29. The team is also looking to participate in another competition in Hong Kong this coming August.

As he represents both the nation and Mapúa University, De Leon expressed his message to the community that has supported him throughout his tenure as a student-athlete, “Keep striving for your dreams, the sky's the limits, don’t take any adversity or hardships [...] negatively. Yun talaga magpupush sa atin to even strive better and to achieve our goals and dreams.”