UP Maroons find huge backer in Ateneo alumnus

MANILA, Philippines – In sports, rivalries run deep.

When it comes to collegiate basketball, especially in the UAAP,  animosity isn’t unheard of when rival schools face off and supporters try to drown each other out with their respective cheers and chants in a jam-packed stadium.

Among those rival teams are the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the UP Fighting Maroons – whose physical proximity has gained their matchup the moniker of “The Battle of Katipunan”. The competition on the court has only increased over the years, with the latter establishing themselves as a powerhouse along with their Katipunan neighbor.

But since 2017, one Ateneo alumnus has jumped the fence and is supporting his alma mater’s foe.

JJ Atencio of Januarius Holdings, is a graduate of Ateneo de Manila but pulled a 180 when he chose to support the Fighting Maroons as the team’s outfitter with his subsidiary STATS Technical Sportswear.

Not only that, he’s also been sponsoring the team’s overseas training in recent years.

As UP and STATS renewed their partnership with a contract signing on Friday at the UP Executive House, Atencio bared how it all started for this topsy-turvy affair.

“First of all, I think a lot of you know that I did not study in UP. So this thing is special for me. But kasi, this involvement started when I couldn’t say no to two people. One of them is past UP president Danny Concepcion. And you know, nobody can ever say no to a UP president, even if you are not a UP graduate,” Atencio quipped.

“But then when I started meeting [people]… Coach Bo [Perasol] was there at the first meeting, and then Nowhere to go but UP, si Renan, so these bunch of guys are very nice, and they’re very real.”

At the time, UP was only rebuilding its image as a contender for the Final Four. But with Atencio’s vision, he saw the potential in the program that would eventually lead to the team’s drought-ending championship in UAAP Season 84.

“I thought that the best way for any team to become a winner is to do training. That’s why we started out this training which I’m happy to note has been ongoing for the past years, and it has shown itself to be a formidable weapon to remain competitive and stay on top,”