A group photo of the Philippine soft tennis team during the Cambodia SEA Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in May. (Contributed photo)
MANILA – After a three-gold performance at the Cambodia SEA Games last month, the Philippine soft tennis team is hoping to sustain its momentum in the Nonghyup Bank Korea Cup scheduled from June 14 to 21 in Incheon, South Korea.
Bien Zoleta, Princess Catindig, Virvienica Bejosano, Joseph Arcilla and coach Josephine Paguyo will leave on Tuesday to join Christy Sañosa, Bea Ebriega, Dheo Talatayod, Samuel Nuguit, Ryan Velandres Carpio and coach Michael Enriquez who are attending a camp with the Korean team at the Jincheon National Training Center.
"The camp and the NH Korea Cup are part of our training for the Asian Games," head coach Divina Escala said in an interview on Monday.
The soft tennis competition in the Asian Games will take place from Oct. 3 to 7 at the Hangzhou Olympic Tennis Center.
"Our players will be facing tougher opponents in the Asian Games so they must be well-prepared. The tournaments and training camps are important to make them more competitive," said Escala, who won the singles and doubles (with Bien Zoleta) bronze medal at the 2008 Asian Soft Tennis Championships.
The Filipino netters participated in a technical training exchange program with the Korea Soft Tennis Association -- training with the Korea Daegu Bank team at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center and going to Korea for another training session -- before heading to Cambodia where they pocketed three gold medals coming from Arcilla (men's singles), Bien Zoleta and Catindig (women's doubles) and the women's team of Bien Zoleta, Catindig, Virvienial Bejosano, Christy Sañosa, Fatima Amirul and Bambi Zoleta.
Bambi Zoleta also won the silver medal in singles while the men's team of Arcilla, Dheo Talatayod, Mark Anthony Alcoseba, and Sherwin Ray Nuguit. Adjuthor Moralde and George Patrick Mendoza took the bronze medal.
The Philippine Soft Tennis Association is headed by Cpt. Robert Joseph Moran. (PNA)
