MANILA – Negrense sprinter MJ Maldeguia is set to realize his dream of participating in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) following his commitment to the Far Eastern University’s (FEU) athletics team.
Maldeguia was tapped to join the FEU Charging Tamaraws after his impressive performance at the 2021 Philippines National 3000m Virtual Championships where he landed on the third spot.
“I am thankful for this opportunity given to me by FEU. Playing in the UAAP is a dream come true for me, so I am thankful to coach Reggie Montaño for molding me to become a better athlete,” Maldeguia told FEU Advocate.
The Negrense runner is looking forward to improving and strengthening his skills during his stint at FEU. He wants to help the squad win a championship in the UAAP Season 84.
Staying in shape has been a struggle for Maldeguia during the pandemic, but he did the necessary adjustments to show FEU that they were not wrong in recruiting him.
Meanwhile, Montaño of Singapore-based H12 Coaching has high hopes that the 18-year-old Maldeguia will achieve something big with the Charging Tamaraws due to his dedication and hard work.
“He has been under my watch for around six months, where he has shown tremendous improvement,” he said. “I have reminded him not to set aside his academics since once he got a failing grade, he is automatically out of the team.”
Maldeguia is the third Negros-Occidental based recruit of the FEU’s athletics team. He was a silver medalist in the Western Visayas Regional Athletic Meet. He also reaped gold and silver medals in the 2018 and 2019 Palarong Panlalawigan./PN
