The Philippine women’s and men’s beach volleyball teams set in motion their respective bids for a podium finish as they handily beat Singapore in the 31st Southeast Asian Games on Sunday at the Tuan Chau Beach, Quang Ninh.
The Filipinas had a rousing start as Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons made quick work of Tan Kai Yun Alicia and Soh Hui Chin Cecilia, 21-14, 21-9, while Jovelyn Gonzaga and Dij Rodriguez downed Eliza Chong and Ong Wei Yu, 21-12, 21-8.
Except for Gonzaga, who is in her first SEA Games beach volleyball stint since 2011 in Indonesia, Rondina, Pons, and Gutierrez were part of the bronze medal-clinching squad that ended a 14-year medal drought in 2019 in Subic.
Up next for the ladies is a match with Malaysia at 11:30 a.m. (Manila time) Monday.
Not to be outdone were the men’s pairs of Jude Garcia and Krung Arbasto, which beat Kingsley Tay and Trevis Tan, 21-15, 21-17, and Ranran Abdilla and Jaron Requinton, which overcame Nicholas Kiu and Nicolas Law, 22-20, 21-16.
Garcia and Requinton had different partners in 2019 when the team clinched the bronze medal for the country’s first podium finish in men’s beach volleyball.
After taking a rest, the Philippines play Cambodia at 10:45 a.m. (Manila time) on Tuesday.
The women’s competition is a single-round robin affair with the team that posts the most number of wins claiming the gold medal.
The men’s competition is pool play and the Philippines needs to finish in the top two in Pool A to advance to the semifinals.
