THE disappointing campaigns of Gilas Pilipinas and the Philippine Azkals notwithstanding, the Philippine cricket team moves closer to qualifying in the T20 Cricket World Cup next year in Australia.
The Philippines completed its dominance in the weeklong tournament serving as the first step to a World Cup qualification with a 138-110 victory over Indonesia on Friday at the Emilio Aguinaldo College Friendship Oval in Dasmariñas, Cavite.
Led by four Australian-Filipino players Jonathan Hill, Daniel Smith, Henry Tyler, and Grant Russ, the Philippines was able to keep in step with tough foes.
“The team now has the depth of talent and experience to challenge some of the best sides in the region. There is something special about this side,” said Hill, the Philippine team captain.
“We are a tight-knit group who are immensely proud to play for and represent the Philippines. They never lose focus and when the going gets tough, they get going. It’s an honor to captain them and to make history today,” he added.
Philippines coach Mark Pekin, meanwhile, credited the support of the Filipinos for their triumphant campaign. He hopes the momentum will continue in the next stages of the qualifier.
“In many close games, their support was the difference between us winning and losing. It was like having an extra player on the field. I’m so pleased that we were able to win the Cup for them,” Pekin said.
The Philippine squad will next compete in Papua New Guinea early next year where it will play Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu in the International Cricket Council East Asia Pacific final, where the winner will head to the global qualifying round.
In the global qualifying round, six teams will advance to the World Cup competition.
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Meanwhile players from the University of St. La Salle-Bacolod were champions once more in the NOPSSCEA Season 38 men and women table tennis recently at the VMA Global College in Bacolod City.
The women team – composed of Mariella Mabaquiao, Natalie Louise Librando, Cherrica Michelle Uytiepo, Catherine Samson, and Aishea Marie Appe – claimed the title after beating University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos in the finals.
USLS started on a wrong foot, with Librando losing to Kimberly Naragdao in the first singles, but Mabaquiao avenged this loss in the second singles with a 3-0 win over UNO-R’s Ruhamah Ravello.
Samson and Uytiepo claimed the doubles win after edging UNO-R’s Rachel Donna Samson and Rosanna Dogomeo, while Mabaquiao turned back Naragdao in the anchor match.
The men team – led by John Paul Gubaton, Niel John Lauren, James Saligumba, Cris Lester Rejon, Nelgen John Ablao, and Rodney Jarder Jr. – also kept its trophy by beating UNO-R.
Lauren defeated Ryan Arguelles 3-0 in the first singles while Gubaton dominated David Patrici 3-0 in the second singles and Saligumba and Rejon won over Allan Jay Marañon and John Marcel Concha 3-0 in doubles./PN
