Squash singles matches reel off
The Philippines will try to surpass its record haul of two silvers and six bronzes from squash in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games two years ago as hostilities begin at 10 this morning with men’s and women’s singles matches in the 30th edition of the 11-nation conclave at the Manila Polo Club.
Five countries are battling for medals in five events – men’s singles, women’s singles, mixed team, men’s team and women’s team. Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand are competing with five men and four women each. Malaysia has four men and four women while the Philippines will parade four men – Robert Garcia, 33, MacMac Begornia, 27, David Pelino, 26 and Chris Buraga, 13 – and three women – Myca Aribado, 26, Aysah Dalida, 27 and Jimmie Avila, 19.
In 2017, the Philippines took the silver in women’s jumbo doubles and men’s team and the bronze in men’s singles, women’s singles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles, men’s doubles and women’s team. This year, three doubles events were scratched because the Rizal Memorial courts weren’t finished on time. The venue was moved to the Manila Polo Club where the courts are only for singles.
Philippine Squash Academy (PSA) president Bob Bachmann said the Rizal courts will be completed by the end of February and turned over on March 1 next year. The Manila Polo Club courts were refurbished for the SEA Games and German-made adjustable tins of 17 to 19 inches were supplied by Singapore squash legend Zainal Abidin. The courts will use 17-inch tins for the SEA Games.
The four visiting teams arrived last Friday. The technical meeting was held yesterday to draw the pairings. The women’s and men’s singles are scheduled on Dec. 1-3, the mixed team Dec. 4-6 and men’s and women’s teams on Dec. 7-9. There will be two matches in the first round of men’s and women’s singles this morning from 10 to 11:30 then four matches in the quarterfinals of both events from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“We’re all set,” said Bachmann. “The Polo courts are ready. It’ll be a struggle for us without the doubles events. But we’re prepared. Our team just came back from our final training camp in Singapore for over two weeks. This year, PSC supported us to play in tournaments in China and Thailand and our top women’s player Myca joined the world championships in Cairo. For the SEA Games, we’re pinning our medal hopes in men’s singles, women’s singles, mixed team and the men’s team.”
Garcia and Begornia will play in men’s singles while Aribado and Dalida in women’s singles. The mixed team will be a best-of-five match event where each entry is made up of three men and two women. Garcia, Begornia, Pelino, Aribado and Dalida comprise the mixed team. Both the men’s and women’s teams are best-of-three match events. The men’s team is composed of Garcia, Begornia and
Pelino while the women’s team has Aribado, Dalida and Avila.
The men’s and women’s teams were included after the doubles events were dropped. Avila was a late entry to complete the women’s threesome and she was recruited by accident. Avila recently arrived from South Africa where she lived for nine years with her parents and sister. She was born in Cotabato and when she was five, her parents Jimmy and Cristina moved to South Africa to work in a relative’s business of making pastries and meat pies. Avila joined her parents in South Africa when she was nine.
Avila enrolled at Epworth School in Pietermaritzburg and played for the varsity squash team. “Sports was new to me in school and I tried hockey, tennis, netball, basketball, soccer and canoeing until I did squash which I enjoyed and slowly, became good at,” she said. “I started to take it seriously in Grade 5 and when I got to Grade 7, I made it to the provincial team. I played for Epworth and our coach Sally White took us to two Top Schools championships. This year, my parents decided to go back to Cotabato. As soon as I got home, I went on-line to ask the PSA where I could play squash in Cotabato and Mr. Bachmann replied asking about my background.”
Bachmann’s inquiry led to Avila and her older sister Princess Krizza Mae traveling to Manila. “Mr. Bachmann invited me to try out for the national team and my parents insisted I take my sister along,” she said. “We’re now staying in my mom’s friend’s home in Tandang Sora and I commute every day to practice three hours at the Polo Club. I’m very excited to play for our country. I’m not in the same level as Myca or Aysah but I’m working very hard to improve. It’s a wonderful experience and an unbelievable opportunity to play in the SEA Games.”
Since Avila began training with the national team, coach Edgar Balleber said she has raised her level of play. “Nakapag-adjust na siya,” said Balleber, a former SEA Games six-time squash bronze medalist. “Mas gumaganda na ang palo niya. Kung sa Malaysia at Singapore, mukhang malabo siyang manalo but for Indonesia and Thailand, makakasabay siya.” Avila will be the third player in the women’s team behind Aribado and Dalida.