Padel Pilipinas makes historic Asian Games debut

Danna Abad and Joshea Malazarte delivered a breakthrough performance as they powered Padel Pilipinas to a historic finish in the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya.

The youngest pair in the national team entered the main draw as the lowest seed at No. 23 but made an impact as they coasted all the way to the semifinals to secure a fourth-place finish in the federation’s first ever participation in the Asian Games at the Higashi Sports Center.

Saki Tsukamoto and Saki Tokumoto of Japan clinched the gold medal while Fadona Kusumawati and Fitriani Sabatini settled for the silver medal in this tourney that featured 13 powerhouse countries.

Another Indonesian pair in Novela Putri and Beatrice Gumulya clinched the bronze medal following a 6-0, 6-0 win over Abad and Malazarte in the consolation round.

Still, it was a mission accomplished for the Filipinas as they made a lot of heads turn in their Asian Games debut, much to the delight of Padel Pilipinas chief Jeff Cheng.

“Being part of the Asian Games is a huge step for padel in the Philippines. Our athletes showed that they can compete on this stage, and more importantly, they gained the experience of going up against some of the best in Asia,” said Cheng, a distinguished businessman who served as team manager when the national women’s football team made a historic appearance in the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.

“This is an important foundation for where we want to take the sport next.”

Abad and Malazarte opened Team Philippines’ campaign with a dominant 6-1, 6-0 victory over Saudi Arabia’s Samaher Alkurdi and Lina Alabdullatif to set the tone for what would become a breakthrough showing.

National team captain LA Cañizares and Jason Tamayo followed with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Indonesia’s Christian Alvin Edison and Giorgio Soermarno, while Tao Yee Tan and Marian Capadocia battled Kazakhstan’s Albina Khabibulina and Mariya Sinitsyna to a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 victory.

The Round of 16 brought another pair of victories for the Philippines, with Abad and Malazarte overcoming Hong Kong’s Venise Chan and Hiu Wai Lau, 6-1, 6(5)-7, 6-3, in a tightly contested three-set battle.

Cañizares and Tamayo also advanced after defeating Hong Kong’s Kwan Lam Vincent Chau and Lok Pui Lawrence Lo, 6-2, 6-2.

Tan and Capadocia, meanwhile, bowed out after a closely contested three-set match against Hong Kong’s Hiu Laam Chan and Yik Yan Law, falling 7-5, 4-6, 4-6.

The Philippines’ second men’s pair, Abdulqoahar Allian and Raymark Gulfo, also concluded their campaign after losing to the United Arab Emirates’ Fares Al Janahi and Abdullah Alabdulla.Abad and Malazarte kept their momentum rolling in the quarterfinals, overcoming Iran’s Saba Najafi Dehaghi and Neda Mohammad Taghipour, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, to punch their ticket to the semifinals. On the other hand, Cañizares and Tamayo faced a tough quarterfinal challenge against Malaysia’s Christian Didier Chin Zao Quan and Aidan Yunus.

After taking the second set, the Filipino pair ultimately fell 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, bringing their run to a close.

But Abad and Malazarte became one of the tournament’s surprise stories as they climbed through the draw, knocking out higher-ranked opposition and earning their place among the final four, alongside three top-seeded teams: Japan’s No. 2 seed and Indonesia’s No. 3 and No. 7 seeds.

In the semifinals, the duo bowed to Kusumawati and Sabatini until falling short anew to another Indonesian pair to settle for fourth.

“We are proud of how every athlete represented the Philippines in Nagoya,” Padel Pilipinas secretary general Duane Santos said.

“Some matches did not go our way, but each pair showed resilience, competed hard, and gained valuable experience on the Asian Games stage. This is only the beginning, and we look forward to seeing these athletes continue to grow and push the sport forward.”