Zoleta bags pickleball gold anew

After winning the mixed doubles at the World Pickleball Championships in Bali, Indonesia, last Thursday, Bien Zoleta picked up another mint, this time in the women’s singles on Sunday.

Zoleta, 35, went undefeated in her campaign for her second gold medal of the competition.

The Lucena City Pickleball Club representative took down Christie Potsepis, 11-8, and Kerry Prior of Australia, 11-0, Yenjit Boonchan, of Thailand, 11-1, and home bet Bu Irawati, 11-0, to clinch a spot in the championship round.

Zoleta then re-asserted her mastery over Potsepis, 21-14, to win it all.

The four-time Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medalist told DAILY TRIBUNE her brothers Karl and Borgy Zoleta convinced her to try to compete in a singles tournament again.

The last time she competed in a singles match was at the 30th Southeast Asian Games in Manila where she dominated the women’s soft tennis event.

“I retired from playing in singles tournaments after winning the gold in the SEA Games and more so when I got an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury,” Zoleta said.

“Kuya Karl and Borgy saw my moves in the doubles and convinced me to try playing a singles tournament again since the court in pickleball is smaller and gauge my level in pickleball.”

Despite getting another gold medal in another singles tournament, Zoleta said she would stick to playing doubles in soft tennis.

“For soft tennis, I decided to let go of playing in the singles tournament because I want the next generation like Bambi Zoleta, Princess Catinding and Christy Sañosa to take up the mantle and compete there,”Zoleta said.