Alas Pilipinas Men saw their gold medal hopes dashed after suffering a straight-sets loss to powerhouse Thailand, 20-25, 19-25, 21-25, in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Thursday at the Hua Mark Indoor Stadium.
The Philippines, still reeling from a straight-sets defeat to Indonesia in the pool stage, struggled once again against a Thai team that imposed its dominance early and never relented.
“I am not happy, of course. We could do better. And today we start every set in a difficult way. And after we were more close and more close and more close, but it was not enough,” said Alas Men head coach Angiolino Frigoni.
Still, the Philippines has a chance to return to the podium for the first time since 2019 when they face Vietnam in the bronze medal match on Friday at 4:00 PM.
Leo Ordiales emerged as the lone bright spot for Alas, erupting for 25 points — his highest output in the biennial meet — built on 23 attacks and two aces. On the other hand, the rest of the squad struggled to keep pace.
Thailand’s defense stifled the Philippines’ top weapons, with team captain Bryan Bagunas limited to 11 points — his lowest of the tournament — while Marck Espejo managed just five points on five-of-16 attacks.
Lloyd Josafat, who started in place of veteran Kim Malabunga, contributed eight points on four attacks and four kill blocks.
“Feeling ko nabawasan naman ng errors, siguro wala lang ‘yung eagerness naming manalo for this game. Ayun, speechless ako kasi hindi ito ‘yung inexpect namin na result,” said Bagunas after the loss.
“Talagang before the game, pinag-usapan namin na kailangan ilaban namin. But ‘yun nga, siguro talagang hindi para sa amin ‘tong game na ‘to,” he added.
What undid Alas against Indonesia resurfaced in the semifinals, as costly mistakes piled up (24 in all) against a Thai squad that committed just 10 errors in a tightly controlled 75-minute encounter.
Thailand rode a composed offensive showing from Napadet Bhinijdee, who fired 19 points on an 18-of-29 attacking clip. Kissada Nilsawai provided steady support with 10 points, highlighted by six attacks, two kill blocks, and two aces.
Anurak Phanram added eight points, and Chaiwat Thungkham finished with seven markers.
Thailand will face defending champion Indonesia in the gold medal match on Friday at 6:30 PM.
