UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas’ student-athletes who were affected by the scrapping of UAAP Season 83 will still have its scholarships intact, the school’s athletic director announced late Friday.
This will be one less worry for the Growling Tigers athletes who are trying to cope the effects of the COVID-19 crisis even without sports competitions to play.
“In this time of pandemic and uncertainties, no student should be left behind,” said Institute of Physical Education and Athletics director Fr. Rodel Cansancio in an interview with the campus paper the Varsitarian.
The España-based school’s athletic department earlier announced that scholarships granted during the second semester of 2019-2020 would be valid until the first term of 2020-2021, which ended last month.
“It’s true that UST will retain the scholarships of our student-athletes for the 2nd term of AY 2020-2021,” said Cansancio, who took over the post last September from Fr. Jannel Abogado, who resigned in the aftermath of the Tigers’ men’s basketball Sorsogon bubble controversy.
The UAAP last month announced it will not stage Season 83 tournaments due to the lingering effects of COVID-19 pandemic.
UST athletic moderator Rod Sambuang, in an interview also to the Varsitarian, said that 579 collegiate athletes will benefit from having their scholarships intact.
“All scholarships given last [term] will be offered the same this [term],” said Sambuang.
The scholarships of those 330 high-school athletes, Sambuang added, will also remain valid.
In Season 82, which saw its second semester competitions terminated due to the pandemic, the Tigers won a record 44th collegiate general championship while the Tiger Cubs hoisted their 21st high school overall crown.
