UP Fight!, the battle cry that reverberated throughout the hard court – and on social media – whenever and wherever the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons Men’s Basketball Team played, has topped the Twitter list for 2019.
The cheer of the UP community that buoyed spirits of the UP Fighting Maroons in games at the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 82, has been named by Twitter Philippines as the Most Tweeted About Sports-Related Hashtag for 2019.
In the Twitter Records for 2019 released December 10, the social media platform noted how “sports also play a big role in shaping the Philippine culture.”
Twitter said the most anticipated events of 2019 were the UAAP season, boxing matches, and NBA games. and then announced “Claiming the first spot is #UPFight!”
Last year, Twitter also had the UP Fighting Maroons in its list via Ricci Rivero who was named the Most Tweeted About Athlete in 2018.
The UP Fighting Maroons’ campaign at the UAAP Season 82 gave the premier Philippine university squad a Bronze Medal finish but the basketball community had witnessed a championship squad developing right before them.
The story behind the Twitter Record lies in the journey that started in 2014 towards a much sought-after UAAP championship title that has eluded the state university for 32 years.
Despite not reaching the finals, there will be no other team in the history of the UAAP S82 which will be as beloved, as influential, as talked about and as admired as the UPFightingMaroons @upmbt Thus, the definition of victory has just been turned on its head.
— japs hatta (@jappieness) November 13, 2019
The rekindling of the fiery #UPFight spirit during the 2018 Season 81 when the ball team reached the UAAP Finals had even merited a book detailing the squad’s journey from UAAP cellar-dweller to UAAP star under the helm of the UP alumni network that calls itself Nowhere To Go But UP. “Nowhere To Go But UP”, the book, was launched on December 9 and will soon be released to the public.
That Silver Medal finish in 2018 galvanized the UP alumni, students, faculty, officials, and supporters, toward a campaign for the basketball championship that was last clinched by UP in 1986.
Thus when this year’s UAAP Season 82 came around, the UP community took up the challenge to strongly cheer for the UP MBT.
Exempted from the finals #UPFight
— Marvic Leonen (@marvicleonen) November 14, 2019
The UP Fight was loudly cheered when the boys were up in points and even more loudly chanted when the squad was down. Prized players Kobe Paras, whose father Benjie Paras led the UP championship team in 1986, and Ricci Rivero, who was making a comeback on the UAAP court, acknowledged how the fans’ cheers kept them going even in the face of UAAP powerhouse clubs whose sports programs were way beyond the UP’s level.
UP alumni brought their children as young as grade school age to watch and support UP Fight games while parents prayed on and off the court when the UP MBT played at the MOA Arena, Ynares Center, and Araneta Coliseum.
UP alumni wrote UP Fight songs, cheers, poetry, and kept the inspiration going strong.
The university basketball club responded to the support and gave their all to the games. In true UP spirit, the UP MBT players even found time to give support to Filipino farmers who have been hit with crises this year.
Ang sarap maging taga UP with this spirit. Thank you @upmbt for making us have fun watching all the games you played. #UPFightForever https://t.co/nCCVHE30j2
— Mahar Lagmay (@nababaha) November 13, 2019
Recent news indicated that UP championship heroes Benjie Paras and Ronnie Magsanoc have joined the UP Fighting Maroons coaching staff to strengthen its bid for the UAAP Season 83 Championship in 2020.
The UP Fight has since embraced support for all varsity teams of the UP and has become the battle cry for all UP achievements.
SEND more UP Fight! cheers to the UP community and the UP Fighting Maroons for making a Twitter Record in 2019!
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