Yumuko ang Philippine women’s soft tennis team sa defending champion Japan, 0-2, sa semifinals ngunit iyon din ang unang medalya ng Pilipinas sa 20th Asian Games.
Sa Higashiyama Park Tennis Center sa Nagoya nitong Linggo, natalo sina Bien Zoleta at Princess Catindig kina Rena Temma at Kiho Miyamae; at natalo naman si Christy Sanosa kay Ayaka Iwakura, kapwa sa limang set.
“We are overjoyed because this is truly a historic win for us in Philippine soft tennis. It is our first podium finish since 1994. We are so happy to have won a medal for the country,” ani Zoleta, isang tennis player bago lumipat sa soft tennis.
“This [medal] is what we’ve dreamed of in soft tennis. This is our Olympics, so winning a medal here means a great deal to us.”
Sinabi ng Soft Tennis Pilipinas na ang pag-akyat sa podium ay isang sandaling matagal nilang pinangarap, ipinagdasal at pinagsikapan.
“Behind this medal are countless sacrifices, discipline, heartbreaks, unwavering support, and years of believing in what seemed like a distant dream. But more than anything, behind this bronze is a long hope and an undying love for the Philippine flag,” ayon sa post ng asosasyon sa Facebook.
Si Zoleta ang ikatlong Pilipino na nakakuha ng bronze medal sa World Soft Tennis Championships (2015, India), matapos sina Josephine Paguyo (1995, Japan) at Joseph Arcilla (2011, Korea).
“This isn’t just for us. It is for the Philippines. Hopefully, this provides a significant morale boost for the national athletes competing today, tomorrow, and in the coming days, because they know how hard we worked for this victory, particularly at the Asian Games,” aniya.
Lalaban sina Zoleta-Samuel Nuguit Christy Sanosa-Sherwin Nuguit sa mixed doubles ngayong Lunes.
Magsisimula naman sa Martes ang women’s at men’s singles events.
Samantala, siguradong may tig-iisang bronze medal sina Jean Claude Saclag at Carlos Alvarez matapos makapasok sa semifinals ng men’s traditional mixed martial arts.
Tinalo ni Saclag si Saud Fawaz Almolhem ng Saudi Arabia sa -65kg quarterfinals, habang nanaig naman si Alvarez laban kay Ananda Prabowo ng Indonesia sa -77kg division.
Sa women’s basketball, tinalo ng Gilas Pilipinas ang Hong Kong, 90-73, upang umabante sa quarterfinals.
May 2-0 record ang Pilipinas sa Group B. Tinalo nito ang Kazakhstan, 86-58, sa unang laban nito.