CHAMPIONS. Filipinos Bien Zoleta (left) and Johner Ombrezo on the podium after winning the gold medal in the mixed doubles 35+ Open category at the World Pickleball Championship (WPC) Series in Bali, Indonesia last Sunday (September 29, 2024). They beat Thailand's Piyapon Srirapan and Tarie Caouette, 21-18, in the final. (Contributed photo)
MANILA – Lucena City pride Bien Zoleta continues to bring honor to the country, this time in pickleball, a sport where players use light paddles and low-bouncing plastic balls on a smaller court.
Zoleta teamed up with Johner Ombrezo to capture the gold medal in the mixed doubles 35+ Open category at the World Pickleball Championship (WPC) Series in Bali, Indonesia last Sunday.
They beat Thailand's Piyapon Srirapan and Tarie Caouette, 21-18, in the final.
The Filipino pair defeated Australians Ty Yturralde and Sarah Burr, 15-13, in the quarterfinals and conquered Indonesians Novi Emiliabir and Gusti Hariwibawa, 15-2, in the Final Four.
Like Zoleta, the 36-year-old Ombrezo from Tukuran, Zamboanga Del Sur is a seasoned tennis player. He won the singles gold medal at the 2006 Palarong Pambansa in Naga Camarines Sur.
"I'm very happy to have finally made it to the podium," said Zoleta in an online interview on Monday.
"It felt so good that I achieved my goal to win a medal again in a world-level competition and see our flag on the world stage, especially in pickleball which is still growing in the Philippines," added Zoleta, a member of the soft tennis national team which competed at the World Soft Tennis Championship in Anseong, South Korea three weeks ago.
The Filipinos know the tough challenge ahead of them in the prestigious WPC Series which has attracted 552 athletes from 28 countries.
"We did not expect to win because there are many pro players in our category and we are the first in the Philippine delegation to win the gold," said Zoleta, whose younger sister Bambi also plays pickleball.
Since the Philippines has no national pickleball team yet, Zoleta's trip to Bali was made possible with the help of her family and generous supporters.
"I am so thankful to my family, my club Team Zoleta for preparing me for this tournament, the Lucena City Pickleball Club, sponsors and brand collabs Lunar Pickleball, Meralco, K-Swiss Philippines and Bravado Sports Apparel, and of course, to my coaches for supporting my participation here," said Zoleta, who debuted at the Asia Pickleball Open in Phuket, Thailand last February and bagged the women's doubles bronze medal with American Yanhua Hawkins. (PNA)
