The Philippine national men’s beach handball team looks to ride the momentum of its Southeast Asian (SEA) Beach Handball Championships title run as it competes in the Asian Beach Handball Championship in Oman from 1 to 10 May.
National team head coach Jana Franquelli told DAILY TRIBUNE that her boys’ resilience during the Southeast Asian tournament will be one of the key factors when they compete in the prestigious continental tourney.
The Philippines finished the five-nation tournament with four straight wins, including a crucial 2-1 win over Vietnam from 10 to 12 February in Thailand.
“In beach handball, you can’t relax because of the nature of the game, the rules. If you snooze, you lose,” said Franquelli, who was part of the team when it landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Friday following a successful title run.
“So all the games were tough, but we were able to win the most important matches.”
The last time the Filipinos competed in the continental tourney was in the Asian Championship in 2023 in South Kuta, Indonesia in which it finished fifth.
Franquelli said they will stay in the country for training as they brace against heavyweights like Vietnam, Oman and defending champion Qatar for a chance to emerge as one of the two finalists that will gain automatic spots in the IHF Beach Handball World Championships.
“Of course, the training will be non-stop and our usual preparation prior to the Asian Championships, we will probably set up local camps and tournaments,” Franquelli said.
“So we’ll manage like we used to. Before, our local camps prior to the Asian Championships yielded results. So we’ll just continue doing what we’re doing and see where we can be stronger.”