Reclaiming his crown after his first championship in 2023, School of Nursing (SON) Panther Rafael Alterado secured three legs in the final round to win against School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA) Tigers’ Vincent Eliot. 

During the elimination rounds, SON Panthers’ Alterado skillfully secured a clean 4-0 against four clusters and advanced against School of Education (SOE) Sharks’ Ezequiel Padpad in the semifinals.

Despite his total sweep to the semis, he admitted that the eliminations put him under stress due to the number of skilled players he had to face off against.

“Each of those game, close game yun, and then only one leg so di ka na makabawi after losing the game,” Alterado explained.

He eventually secured a spot in the finals after breaking a 1-1 draw in the semis’ third leg against Padpad.

The finals saw a closer match as both Alterado and SEA Tigers’ Eliot consistently aimed for 20, seeking to swiftly reduce their scores to gain an early advantage.

Early in the second leg, both tied at 276, which marked the next turn with a need for hitting big numbers to ensure a lead. While Alterado eventually reduced his score to a 14, SEA Tigers’ Eliot narrowed down the gap and put himself at 16, increasing the heat in the tournament. 

Ultimately, it was the SON Panther who secured two legs, while the SEA Tiger steadied the game by winning one for himself.

When asked about the strengths he focused on developing, Alterado turned to improving his mental capacity.

“When I play darts, I don’t think or see other people playing or watching me. I don’t think about them. I just straightly focus the dart board into my follow-through of my hand.” 

This tournament cemented Alterado as a two-time men’s darts champion after snagging gold as a freshman in the 2023 Palarong Atenista.

This comeback came after falling short of a gold medal in his second year and being unable to compete in his third due to hospital duties.

With the top two spots occupied by the SON Panthers and SEA Tigers, the bronze medal was claimed by the Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM) Falcons’ Kurky Bation. 

The men’s darts tournament held its elimination rounds and finals last September 20 at 4F Martin Hall, Ateneo de Davao University.