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Friday, March 29, 2024

PH squash team gears up for bid in SEAG

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A SERIES of tournaments including a $10,000 meet in May will help gear up the Philippine squash team in its coming campaign in the Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Robert Bachmann, president of Philippine Squash Academy, said the rejuvenated association recently inked up a partnership with Nissan Philippines that makes possible the country’s hosting three of a four-leg international series leading up to the SEA Games in July.

The opening leg of the 1st Nissan Open Squash Championship comes off the wraps from March 3 to 5 at the Makati Sports Club and offers a prize money of $1,000. It features entries from Colombia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Pakistan.

But the big one, according to Bachmann, comes on May 16-21 at the Manila Polo Club when the second and third legs of the Nissan Open are held, where at stake is a prize of $5,000 each in both the men and women’s side.

Philippine Squash Academy President Robert Bachman (center), shown here with the Squash National Team, briefs sportswriters on the team’s plans, during an appearance at the PSA Forum at the Golden Phoenix Hotel in Pasay City. Ey Acasio

Countries such as Egypt, Korea, India, Singapore, Japan, Columbia, and Malaysia are expected to participate, although the PSA are still expecting more countries to come over.

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The fourth leg of the series is set from Sept. 22 to 24. All four tournaments are sanctioned by the Professional Squash Association  and offers corresponding ranking points.

All these, and a couple of more tournaments and training in New Zealand, hopefully, will aid the Filipino bets’ bid to win a gold medal in the SEA Games, according to Bachmann in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Golden Phoenix Hotel in Pasay City.

“Our chances for the SEA Games would be a couple of not more than two golds, especially in the jumbo doubles (played on longer and wider courts),” said Bachmann in the session presented by San Miguel Corp., Golden Phoenix Hotel, Accel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

“We’re looking at taking a couple of silver and some medals as well,” added the older brother of former PBA player and now Alaska team manager Dickie Bachmann.

There will be nine squash events in the Kuala Lumpur meet, according to Bachmann, who stressed at least 14 medal potentials will be joining the team and some of them also appeared in the weekly forum, including Jemyca Aribado, Yvonne Alyssa Dalida, Reymark Begornia, Robert Andrew Garcis, David William Pelino, and Lydio Espinola Jr.

The host country again looms as the favorite to dominate the event, along with Singapore.

“If we could get lucky, we can win two golds in the SEA Games,” said Bachmann, who was with coach Claudio Paganpan Jr., and second coach and PSA Board member Edgar Balleber Jr.

The team just came back from Malaysia last Sunday where it competed in the 3rd Southeast Asian Cup Squash Championship. It won three bronze medals in the team, women’s, and mixed events.

More international exposures await the team other than the Nissan Open.

Three members of the national squad will be competing in a $5,000 meet in Hong Kong, while the others see action in the Asian Individual Squash Championship in India by April.

By June and July, the Filipino bets are going to New Zealand to train and participate in a couple of tournaments also sanctioned by the PSA.

At the same time, Bachmann disclosed the association is working on tapping the services of a foreign coach, Valentino Bon Jovi Bong, a half-Malaysian, half-Filipino, whose mother is from Cavite.

“He’s ranked no. 31 in the world and will definitely be a great asset for Philippine squash,” Bachmann said.

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