The Philippine squash team is leaving no stone unturned in its bid to make a breakthrough at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan after it welcomed Japan and Thailand for a week-long training camp at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

The arrival of the foreign contingents gave the national squad a chance to test itself against different playing styles.

Head coach Wee Wern Low told DAILY TRIBUNE that the joint camp last week is particularly important for the team’s doubles combinations, with the athletes getting valuable experience playing alongside and against foreign opponents.

Four Japanese players and two from Thailand arrived in the Philippines on Monday and trained with the Filipinos until Saturday.

“The goal of this is to get more doubles practice, and to familiarize with each other, and also playing different pairing as well,” said Low, a two-time Asian Games gold medalist with Malaysia.

“We're used to playing with each other in training, so it's good to have people from different countries and different playing styles this week around so that they can get better practice.”

Reymark Begornia, Aero Dalida, Jemyca Aribado, Alyssa Dalida, David Pelino and Jonathan Reyes will represent the Philippines in men’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Nagoya Kinjo-Futo Arena from 23 September to 2 October.

And while the Philippines may not have the same pedigree as the region’s traditional squash powerhouses, Low believes being the underdog could work to their advantage.

With little pressure on their shoulders, the Filipinos can play freely and potentially spring a surprise against the continent’s more experienced teams.

“Yeah, I mean, the Asian Games is probably one of the biggest events in Asia and playing for your country is obviously a very different feeling than playing for yourself in the professional circuit,” Low said.

“So as Team Philippines go into the Asian Games, I mean, we are the underdogs, there's nothing to lose, and just all the experience to gain and to try their best against the much more experienced countries in Asia.”

Malaysia will enter the competition as the team to beat after dominating the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, where it collected three gold, one silver and one bronze medal.

India also looms as a formidable challenger after finishing the previous Asiad with two gold, one silver and two bronze medals.