PHNOM PENH—The women’s badminton team assured the country of at least a bronze medal at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games after beating regional powerhouse Malaysia, 3-0, in the quarterfinals on Monday at the Morodok Techo Badminton Hall.
It will be the country’s first badminton medal since Ronel Estanislao and Joper Escueta bagged a men’s doubles bronze at the 2015 Singapore Games.
The PBad Smash Pilipinas women will take on the winner of the clash between Indonesia and Cambodia on Wednesday for a place in the final.
Quite fittingly, it was returning national team shuttler Bianca Carlos who sent the Philippines to the last four with a huge 21-16, 21-18 win over 18-year-old Siri Nurshuhaini in the second singles match.
Mika De Guzman earlier pulled off a close 24-22, 21-18 decision over Tan Zhing Yi to put Smash Pilipinas on board first before the duo of Thea Pomar and Alyssa Leonardo built a 2-0 advantage in beating Low Yeen Yuan and Valeree Siow, 22-20, 19-21, 24-22, in the lone doubles rubber.
Solomon Padiz Jr. and Julius Villabrille, on the other hand, couldn’t contain the comeback from Singapore’s Hee Yong Kai Terry and Nge Joo Jie and absorbed a 21-13, 19-21, 18-21 defeat in the second doubles match.
The loss saw the men’s squad exit the Games in the team event.
Loh Kean Yew, 2021 men’s singles world champion, opened the day with a dominant win for Singapore, 21-14, 21-13, over the Philippines’ Jewel Angelo Albo.
The Filipinos then equalized with a similar clinic with 31st Iran Fajr International Challenge champions Alvin Morada and Christian Bernardo taking care of Jun Liang Andy Kwek and Loh Kean Hean, 21-14, 21-15.
Jia Heng Jason Teh then reclaimed the lead for Singapore with a solid 21-11, 21-11 victory past Lance Vargas in the second singles match.