The School of Education (SOE) Sharks edged the School of Nursing (SON) Panthers in men’s singles, while the Accountancy (ACC) Griffins overpowered the Business and Management (B&M) Vipers in doubles, dominating the Palarong Atenista 2025 badminton finals.

As the singles final opened, SOE Sharks’ Kenn Lechugas went head-to-head with the SON Panthers’ Halid Socor in an intense first set, eking out a 21-18 win that kept Socor on the back foot.

The tension peaked in the second set as long rallies stretched the score to 26-24, with Lechugas’ composure under pressure ultimately securing the singles championship in dramatic fashion.

Lechugas attributed his victory to the combination of drop shots and aggressive follow-up smashes that kept his opponent constantly on the defensive.

“Yung mga smashing ko… Drop, then follow up smash,” he said, describing the tactic that turned the game in his favor.

In the men’s doubles, the B&M Vipers Peter Arendain and Alexus Alcantara started strong but soon found themselves struggling to keep pace with the ACC Griffins Rayyan Malawani and Jemyrr Virtudazo.

The first set saw a tense back-and-forth, with ACC Griffins narrowly clawing the 21-19 win.

ACC Griffins then dominated the second set 21-9, overwhelming B&M Vipers with near-flawless court coverage to secure the gold.

Virtudazo admitted that despite worries over fatigue from grueling training sessions, the crowd’s support gave them an extra boost.

“Surprisingly kay nakaya raman namo. Also because of the supporters kay murag naka hype gyud sa amo tapos ang support pud gyud sa among cluster kay very nice,” he shared.

Malawani expressed empathy for their opponent after noticing their ankle in pain, emphasizing mutual respect for B&M’s effort.

“Aside sa gi grab namin yun na opportunity na parang advantage na gud namin na i-dominate yung game… Hindi yun blessing for me kasi ginawa din nila yung best nila. Ginawa namin yung best namin. So, it’s only fair dun sa game na yun,” he added.

The B&M Vipers and CS Chameleons settled for bronze in singles and doubles categories, respectively. 

The men’s badminton championship capped off on September 21 at M2 Badminton Center, Obrero, Davao City.