PHNOM PENH—Soft tennis ranks as one of the more—if not the most—successful contributor of medals to the Philippine coffers in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.
And with such accomplishment, the focus shirts from the Asean regional to the continental stage—the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8.
To prepare for the Asian Games, the soft tennis athletes will see action in the Korea Open set June 14 to 21.
Joseph Arcilla, the winner of the men’s singles event, however, is doubtful if he could compete in Korea.
“I’m not really sure if I could make the trip because I want to rest from the rigors of our training,” Arcilla, 37, said. “But I’m ready just in case because this is part of our preparations for the Asiad.”
The Philippines ended its soft tennis campaign here with three gold, one silver and one bronze medals for an improvement from the 3-1-1 finish in the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines.
Cambodia finished second with a 2-2-4 haul, followed by Indonesia (2-2-1), Thailand (0-2-3) and Laos (0-0-3).
Bien Zoleta-Mañalac and Princess Catindig bagged the women’s doubles crown and also powered the country to the women’s team gold in the company of Fatima Amirul, Virvien Bejosano, and Christy Sañosa.
The men’s team of Arcilla, Mark Anthony Alcoseba, Patrick Mendoza, Thor Moralde, Sherwin Nuguit and Dheo Talatayod also bagged a bronze.
The team, led by Philippine Soft Tennis Association president Robert Joseph “Bobby” Moran, returned to the Philippines last Thursday.
AQUATICS YIELDS 16 MEDALS, INCLUDING 2 GOLDS
THE national bagged a total of 16 medals highlighted by two gold medals at the Aquatics Center inside the sprawling Morodok Techo National Sports Complex.
Xiandi Chua (women’s 200-meter backstroke) and rookie campaigner Teia Salvino (women’s 100m backstroke) won a gold medal each, making it the Filipinos’ best gold medal haul since the four-gold medal finish in the 2009 SEA Games in Vientiane, Laos.
The two also set new national and SEA Games records, with Chua clocking two minutes and 13.20 seconds in the women’s 200m backstroke and Salvino clocking 1:01.64 minutes in the women’s backstroke.
Jerard Jacinto settled for a silver medal in the men’s 50m backstroke as well as Jasmine Alkhaldi (women’s 100m freestyle), Chloe Isleta (women’s 200m backstroke), the 4x100m freestyle relay team of Alkhaldi, Salvino, Chua and Miranda Renner, the 4x100m medley relay team of Salvino, Renner, Alkhaldi and Angelyn Cacho and the 4x100m mixed medley relay team of Jacinto, Cacho, Alkhaldi and Jarod Hatch, making it a total of six silver medals.
Hatch picked up two more bronze medals in the men’s 50m and 100m butterfly events, with Jacinto also picking up aa bronze medal in the men’s 100m backstroke.
In women’s action, Alkhaldi won more bronze medals in the women’s 50m and 100m butterfly events with Salvino getting another bronze medal in the women’s 50m backstroke.
Alkhaldi, Salvino, Chua and Isleta capped of the bronze medal count at eight after getting into the podium in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay.
Image credits: Roy Domingo