DTC returns in full force, face-to-face mode

The Don Tomas Cup is an annual sports event that the COP organizes, allowing students to play in tournaments for sports, such as basketball and volleyball. Under the DTC, different schools and departments within the University compete against each other for the championship title. These include the School of Architecture, Interior Design, and Built Environment (AR-ID-BE), the School of Chemical, Biological, and Materials Engineering and Sciences (CBMES), the School of Civil, Environmental, and Geological Engineering (SCEGE), the Department of Liberal Arts (DLA), the School of Electrical, Electronics, and Computer Engineering (EECE), the Enrique T. Yuchengco School of Business (ETYSB), the School of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management (IE-EMG), the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (MME), the Senior High School (SHS), the School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), the School of Media Studies (SMS), and the School of Information Technology (SOIT).

At the height of the pandemic, the DTC had to be postponed for a year until it was rebranded in May 2021 as an esports tournament where participants competed in the popular computer game, Valorant. However, this year’s launch marks the cup’s official return as it welcomes students back to campus with incorporated changes.

DTC 2022 has grown from its roots as a limited tournament event into a large-scale inter-department competition with a total of seven sporting events including Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Mixed Volleyball, Chess, Table Tennis, 8 Ball Billiards, and Valorant. All of the tournaments will be held at the Intramuros Campus Gymnasium except for the Billiards matches which will be held at Magallanes Billiards within Intramuros, and the Valorant tournament which will be held offsite.

Along with the new tournaments, the rules for the school’s sports events have also changed. Teams are allowed to take imports from other departments, such as the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Physics. Additionally, tryouts for each department have begun as early as the start of the first term. Winners of the tournaments will be receiving medals and trophies along with monetary prizes by the end of the event.

During the opening ceremony last September 28, the athletes paraded around the Intramuros Campus Gymnasium. EVP-COO Mr. Raul Victor Tan and NAMA President Engr. Arnel Inandan also shared their motivational message to the Mapúan community to boost the athletes’ morale and promote camaraderie. To show more of their support, Engr. Inandan handed their monetary donation to COP on behalf of NAMA, Inc. and other Mapúans. Following this, Mapúa Cardinals’ Point Guard Jeric James Pido imparted his short speech as a student-athlete, telling them to enjoy the games.

The festivities continued through a Pep Rally with the Drum Corps, Cheerping Cardinals, and participants. The Passing of the Torch was headed by the DTC team captains while Mapúa University Sports Enthusiasts Organization (MUSEO) President Malachi Enero led the Oath of Sportsmanship. Students from different departments and schools then took part in the Cheering Competition entitled “The Battlecry of the Year”.

The opening ceremony was followed by an All-Stars Basketball match between the Mapúa Red Robins and chosen DTC participants which the former claimed a 108-54 win. The first game for the elimination round of the Men’s Basketball match commenced later as the CEGESAURS overpowered the EECE Bolts, 115-88.

Daring to make an impression on the Mapúan community, Hiraya: SMS Student Council Outgoing President Eliza Bautista shared that this year’s DTC will have a lasting impact. “Expect a fiery, passionate, and intense sports event from the different departments that showcase their athleticism and camaraderie,” she noted.

The DTC opening ceremony was initially planned for September 26, 2022, but due to Super Typhoon Karding, the COP postponed the event. 

The start of the semi-finals for the following games will be streamed live through the official Facebook pages of MU and the COP: Men’s & Women’s Basketball, Mixed Volleyball, and Valorant matches. Moreover, the audience will be allowed to freely watch the matches in the gymnasium, provided they adhere to the standard health protocols set by the school. 

The game schedules and other DTC-related announcements will be posted on the COP Facebook Page.