THE Philippine women’s soft tennis team made history after securing the country’s first-ever Asian Games medal in the sport more than three decades after making its debut in 1994.
Princess Catindig, Christy Sanyosa, Shyryn Salazar, Hilary Paas and Bien Zoleta defeated Mongolia and Thailand in the group stage to book a spot in the semifinals.
Despite falling to Chinese Taipei, the Filipinas still advanced to the semifinals and assured the Philippines of at least a bronze medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Zoleta described the breakthrough as a historic moment for Philippine soft tennis.
“Wow! Can we move on first? Siyempre masayang-masaya kasi for Philippine soft tennis, this is a very historic win since this is our first ever medal for soft tennis in Asian Games,” said Zoleta.
The team had to overcome limited preparation time and difficult weather conditions both in the Philippines and in Nagoya.
Now, the Filipinas face another major challenge in the semifinals against defending champions Japan, who went unbeaten in the group stage and will be looking to protect their crown on home soil.
But Zoleta remains confident in the team after years of quarterfinal exits.
“I believe in our team. So iyung pinaghandaan namin dito, so walang imposible. Ngayon nga sir, apat na beses kami, puro quarters-quarters. Ngayon nag-imposible ang lahat,” added Zoleta.
With a medal already secured ahead of the opening ceremony, the Philippine soft tennis women have given Team Philippines an early podium finish and a chance to turn history into gold. (Jesus Nathaniel Valdez)
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