Philippine soft tennis team stuns China to clinch bronze in Asian netfest

The Philippines, represented by standouts from the National Col­legiate Athletic Association (NCAA), stunned powerhouse China, 3-0, to pocket the bronze medal in the women’s team event in the just-concluded 8th Asian Soft Tennis Championships in Chiba, Japan.

Former College of St. Benilde (CSB) player Noelle Conchita Zoleta-Manalac, who won the singles bronze early in the tourna­ment, teamed up with San Beda College’s Princess Catindig to beat Chinese Zhang Yichan and Wang Yufei, 5-2, to give the Philippines a 1-0 lead before a jampacked crowd at the Fukuda Denshi Hills carpet courts.

Erdilyn Peralta of the University of Perpetual Help Systems Dal­ta (UPHSD) pulled off a 4-2 victory over singles silver medalist Feng Zixuan in the next match while Alyanna Viloria and Guia Arzaga of San Beda College clobbered Wang Yunru and Lai Qianpei, 5-1, to complete the shutout.

The Philippines, however, lost to Japan in the semifinal, 0-2.

Korea won the title over Japan, 2-0.

“Para sa bayan ang bronze medals (The medals are for the country) and this victory was made possible through the cooper­ation of our NCAA family,” said Philippine Soft Tennis Association president, Col. Jeff Tamayo, who also thanked head coach Jovy Mamawal of San Beda, assistant coach Michael Enriquez and play­er Ana Saguiped of UPHSD, and internationally accredited umpires Deena Cruz of Lyceum Philippine University and NCAA soft tennis commissioner Dave Vicente.

The team’s trip was funded by the Philippine Sports Commis­sion, Philippine Olympic Committee, sports patron Brig. Gen. Dr. Antonio Tamayo and the NCAA. PNA