Cebu’s Rinna Babanto is the first MVP awardee for UAAP taekwondo. (Contributed Photo)
CEBU’s taekwondo jin Rinna Babanto fought through pain and delivered a performance of a lifetime to cap off her stellar career with the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers.
The 21-year-old Babanto bagged the inaugural Most Valuable Player Award, after accounting for two of the three gold medals that DLSU won to emerge as overall champions in the UAAP Season 81 poomsae championships last Tuesday at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.
“Being awarded as the first ever MVP in poomsae was way far than I expected,” Babanto said, “I am so grateful and blessed to have this award… I’ve always wanted to receive an award like that for a long time and it’s in my arms now. Sweetest exit indeed,”
Babanto, who is taking up Sports Management, said.
Despite a knee injury which hasn’t fully healed yet, the graduating former world champion and Asian Games bronze medalist Babanto posted 8.180 to rule the individual female event besting fellow national team members and Asian Games bronze medalists Nikki Oliva of the University of the Philippines (UP) and Jevenile Faye Crisostomo of Far Eastern University (FEU) with a score of 8.100 and 7.900, respectively.
“Despite my knee injury during the competition, I told myself that ‘There’s no room for doubts and negativity when you really want to achieve something you’ve been working for a long time’,” Babanto said.
Babanto grabbed her second gold via the mixed pair competition with partner Patrick Perez with 8.235.
“I still can’t believe that it is my last year representing DLSU,” Babanto said, “It’s sad but I’m happy at the same time because I was able to leave my legacy to them (teammates),” said Babanto.