The Philippines bagged five bronze medals in the just-concluded 1st Asian University Soft Tennis Championships and 1st Asian University Juniors Soft Tennis Championships at the Colegio San Agustin indoor tennis court in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.
National team mainstay Princess Catindig delivered three when she reached the semifinal of the women’s 21-under category in the Asian Juniors. She was a semifinalist in the women’s singles and led her team to the Final Four in the Asian University.
Philippine Army’s Mark Alcoseba added two bronzes coming from the men’s singles and team event of the tournament organized by the Asian Soft Tennis Federation and Philippine Soft Tennis Association.
ASTP vice president and PSTA president Col. Jeff Tamayo, ASTF secretary general Tasuo Kasai of Japan and CSA rector Rev. Fr. James Uy, OSA awarded the medals to the all the winners.
The Asian University Soft Tennis Championships served as a test event for the 30th SEA Games which will be held in the country from November 30 to December 11.
A total of 450 players from 13 countries joined the two competitions supported by Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Sports Commission, Kenko balls and the University of Perpetual Help.
The Philippines is hoping to surpass its one silver and five bronze medals performance in Palembang, Indonesia during the 2011 SEA Games, which was the last time soft tennis was included in the biennial tournament.