Takraw bets eye Asian U19 glory

Buoyed by the national team’s success in the last 20th Asian Games, national junior players John Deryck Diego and Jay Ann Balwit vowed to rise to the challenge when the country hosts the ASTAF U19 Asian Sepak Takraw Championships presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) from 26 to 30 November at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

“We wouldn’t be going there if we didn’t believe we were capable of winning a medal. We’re confident, and we will try to do our best,” said Balwit, 16, during Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Philippine Sports Commission media center.

“We are capable of securing a podium finish because of our rigorous training, which has prepared us physically, mentally, and emotionally,” echoed 17-year-old team captain Diego.

Both have enjoyed local and international success, with Balwit former bagging a doubles silver medal in the last Palarong Pambansa in Agusan del Sur, while Diego copped a bronze in the rings event in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.

Joining them in the program backed by the PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, San Miguel Corp., MILO and the 24/7 sports app Arena Plus, were PSC chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio, commissioner Walter Torres and Philippine Sepak Takraw Association Inc. president Karen Tanchanco-Caballero.

“We chose 15 boys and 15 girls who have been training last September at the Bulacan Sports Complex under our veteran national coaches,” said Caballero, whose Nationals took home a silver and bronze in women’s doubles and regu, respectively, in the last Asiad held in Japan.

She added that up for grabs will be gold medals in the boys and girls regu, boys doubles and boys and girls quadrant events in the tournament she stressed, will be a huge boost to the grassroots development of the sport.

In what was likely music to the ears of Gregorio, who has been a prime mover of sports tourism in the country, Caballero announced that 15 countries and close to 300 participants will be seeing action in the competition sanctioned by the Asian Sepak Takraw Federation.

The foreign nations that have committed to play in the international sepak takraw showcase are Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei, India, Indonesia, Iraq, South Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Iran, Nepal and Oman, according to Caballero.

“We were surprised that some countries are going with a lot of extra officials who want to visit the Philippines,” she noted, adding that they were organizing tours of the “Walled City” in Intramuros, Manila for the delegates.