The husband-and-wife archery team of Paul and Rachelle Anne dela Cruz is returning to the Southeast Asian Games set May 12 to 25 in Vietnam.
Paul and Rachelle will have a chance to defend their title in the mixed team event, after they made it through the final selection process two weeks ago in Marikina City.
“This is about new learnings for us, in getting the goal and in qualifying for the SEA Games again,” said Paul, some two years after he and Rachelle won the lone archery gold medal for Team Philippines in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
The pair spent most of the time training under a bubble and getting their acts together in the compound event, while training under a bubble for the last two years.
Many members of the national squad prepared to qualify for the SEA Games at the F.R. Sevilla archery range in Quezon City, or while in a bubble in Dumaguete City.
Rachelle said in a recent radio interview that there’s almost no pressure for them to perform better, just like in 2019.
“It’s just the same as 2019. We feel that everytime we compete, it could be our last. So we just have to be better than 100%,” said Rachelle.
Paul made it to the men’s compound team with Johann Olano and Flor Matan, while Rachelle is linking up with veteran Jennifer Chan and Andrea Robles in the women’s side.
Jason Feliciano, Jonathan Reaport and Girvin Garcia are listed in the men’s Olympic recurve, while sisters Gabrielle and Pia Bidaure are included in the women’s Olympic recurve, with Phoebe Amistoso.
Between the two, Paul is not new to podium finishes, being a 2014 Asian Games bronze medalist.
The sports offers 10 gold medals, with Paul and Rachelle setting their sights on the individual and team compound events, as well.
The finale was done two weeks ago in Marikina City following a series of regional competitions held in Davao, Cebu, Baguio, Dumaguete and the National Capital Region.