Philta braces for SEAG

The Philippine Lawn Tennis Association (Philta) vowed to be competitive when the country hosts the 30th Southeast Asian Games next year.

Philta president Antonio Cablitas yesterday said they are looking to send their athletes to countries like China and South Korea in a bid to collect gold medals in the prestigious biennial meet.

He said age-group sensation Alberto Lim is already in the thick of his training while Jeson Patrombon, Francis Casey Alcantara, Jurenz Mendoza, Marian Capadoccia and Clarice Patrimonio have also kicked off their respective buildups.

“We want to send our players to Asian countries where they will be up against strong opponents for 11 months so they will be ready to face our regional rivals like Thailand,” Cablitas said during the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Tapa King in Cubao.

Accompanying Cablitas to the session supported by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. and San Miguel were Philta secretary general Romeo Magat and training director Martin Misa.

Misa, however, said he was not ruling Filipino-Americans Richard Gonzales Huey in joining the national squad for the SEA Games “because the door is always open for them to compete for our country, especially since we are hosting the event.”

Cablitas also tapped veteran non-playing Davis Cup team captain Chris Cuarto to be the competition manager for the tennis tournament in the SEA Games.