Bambi Mañalac successfully defended her women’s doubles gold in the Southeast Asian Games, this time with Princess Catindig, after completing a sweep in the 32nd edition of the competition on Sunday at the Tennis Sports Complex, Olympic Complex in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Mañalac won the 2019 doubles title with her sister, Bien Zoleta, along with her singles gold when the sport was staged for the first time since 2011 in Jakarta.
With Catindig in these Games, Mañalac gave the country its first gold in soft tennis and its 12th gold overall after defeating Thailand’s Chatmanee Jankiaw and Napawee Jankiaw, 5-2, in the gold medal final.
After the Jankiaw sisters tied the match at two sets apiece, the Filipinas took the next three sets to finish the match, including a 4-2 seventh-set closer.
Catindig and Mañalac opened their campaign with a dominant 5-0 win over hometown bets Chhan Chheavhouy and Ki Mengchoung before defeating Indonesia’s Siti Nur Arasy and Voni Darlina in a 5-1 decision to complete a pool phase sweep.
The Philippines swept all three gold medals at stake when the sport was staged on home soil in 2019.
