Both Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 teams opened their respective campaigns on a strong note in the 6th Asian Beach Games on Saturday in Sanya, China.
The Gilas Women, composed of soon-to-be World Cup players Mikka Cacho and Tantoy Ferer, along with Kaye Pingol and Gabi Bade, remain undefeated at 2-0 in the women’s competition. They opened their campaign with a 15-11 win over Indonesia before following it up with a dominant 21-9 victory over Macau.
Coached by Anton Altamirano, the squad will next face Kyrgyzstan on Monday, with the top team in the pool earning an outright quarterfinal berth on Tuesday.
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Not to be outdone, the Gilas Men also made a strong statement, with young standouts Nic Cabañero, Aldous Torculas, and Gelo Crisostomo, along with veteran Jeff Manday pulling off back-to-back wins. They stunned host China, 21-18, before surviving Macau by the same scoreline to take the top spot in their pool.
The Patrick Fran-mentored squad will next face Iran on Monday.
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At the Tianya Haijiao Venue Cluster, Alas Women Beach Volleyball secured a spot in the Round of 16 after Sunny Villapando and Gry Matibag dismantled Kazakhstan, 21-8, 21-8, to finish pool play with a perfect 3-0 record.
Their teammates Khy Progella and Sofia Pagara also advanced, edging Kazakh pair Laura Kabulbekova and Nedezhda Ivanchenko in a tight 21-17, 22-20 win to complete the country’s sweep into the knockout stage.
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Over at Phoenix Island, sprinter Jessica Rose Laurance delivered another podium finish for Team Philippines, capturing the bronze medal in the women’s 60-meter dash.
Laurance clocked 7.52 seconds, finishing behind Thailand’s Jirapat Khanonta, who took gold in 7.46 seconds, and China’s Jialu Xu, who settled for silver in 7.49 seconds.
The 22-year-old Filipino-Australian sprinter held her composure in a tightly contested field to secure her place on the podium.
“I think I executed quite well. I would have loved to win, but the competition was tough. It was a great first experience,” said Laurance, who hails from Tanay, Rizal, and now resides in Australia.
She also acknowledged room for improvement in her race execution, particularly in her acceleration phase, which may have cost her a stronger finish.
Despite missing out on gold, Laurance remained positive about her performance.
“I wanted to push them and make them chase me, but that’s just how races go. I’m still happy with how I ran and proud of the bronze,” she added.
Laurance returns to action on Sunday, teaming up with Diana Lianne Pama, Shane Joy Ponce, and Kristina Knott in the women’s 4×60-meter relay, where they aim to add another medal to the Philippines’ tally.
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In aquathlon, the Philippines finished fifth in the mixed relay event, clocking 1:05:26.
Kim Remolino led the charge alongside Erika Burgos, Raven Alcoseba, and Inaki Lorbes in a demanding format featuring a 2.5km run, 1km swim, and another 2.5km run per athlete.
Although they fell short of the podium, the team showed grit and coordination throughout the race.
“It was a very challenging race, but we managed to get a top 5 finish, which is great because we really worked hard for it. We saw everyone contribute, and that’s what kept us in the top five until the finish line,” Remolino said.
Host China claimed the gold medal in 1:01:44, while Hong Kong (1:02:35) and Japan (1:03:54) secured silver and bronze, respectively.
At the Sanya River, the Philippine dragon boat team missed out on a podium finish again, placing fifth in the men’s 200-meter race.
The Nationals finished fourth in the semifinal with a time of 51.224 seconds, sending them to the classification round.
They later defeated Hong Kong in the minor final, clocking 52.118 seconds to finish fifth for the second straight day.
Despite struggling against powerhouses China and Thailand, team captain OJay Fuentes emphasized the value of the experience for a young squad composed largely of junior paddlers.
“Malaking potential talaga sobra. Lalo-lalo ngayon, na-bu-build up na habang bata pa sila, na-experience na nila,” said Fuentes.
“Maganda ’yon, nakikita na agad nila na ganito ’yung laban sa international. Sa sarili rin nila, nalalaman nila kung anong kailangan nila,” he added.
The Nationals aim to close their campaign on a strong note in the men’s 400m on Sunday.
