By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) will formally bid goodbye to Season 82 after the COVID-19 pandemic’s havoc.
With 16 of 18 high school games and 21 out of 31 collegiate sports already played, the UAAP decided to formally end the current season and will crown the overall champion through an online ceremony.
In the program, the UAAP will recognize the overall champion for both high school and college but will not name the athlete of the year for fairness because all sports weren’t finished.
UAAP executive director Rebo Saguisag and Season 82 president Em Fernandez said that they are in the right position to formally close the season because two-thirds of the overall games were already done.
“In coordination with ABS-CBN, initially it will be a two-hour show. It’s not live, it will be a taped two-hour closing ceremony,” said Saguisag.
Also, Fernandez said that athletes who haven’t got the chance to play for Season 82 will be recognized including the sport they are in.
“Even if they weren’t able to play, they were still a part of Season 82, so we want to have an angle that we want to say that these sports or these athletes, they existed,” said Fernandez.
