MANILA, Philippines—Dither Tablan, one of the best athletes of University Santo Tomas, passed away on Friday, his family confirmed. He was 23.
A beloved member of UST’s athletic community, Tablan was a two-time UAAP MVP and was instrumental in leading the Golden Judokas to four straight titles during his stay.
Rest in peace, Dither Tablan.
The UST judo legend passed away on Friday night, according to sources. Tablan, a two-time UAAP most valuable player and one of the most beloved Thomasian athletes, helped the UST Judokas score a 4-peat during his time with the team. pic.twitter.com/Zfo7GRAL2Q
— The Varsitarian (@varsitarianust) October 29, 2021
Tablan, who died of cardiac arrest Friday evening, also represented the Philippines in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.
He was also a member of the Philippine National Kurash Team.
Friends and family of Tablan took to social media to mourn their loss including classmates and UST Golden Tigresses Rica Rivera and Alina Bicar.
Tablan graduated from UST with a degree in Sports Wellness and Management.