Atlanta Olympian to banner Indons’ bid

CLARK, Pampanga – A veteran of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta will carry the fight for Indonesia even as the Philippine side that will see action in the first Clark Centennial Cup Asian Women’s beach volleyball championship will be coming off a heart-breaking yet impressive finish in the Hong Kong leg of the circuit.

Nurjanah Sitti and Yudahani Ni Putu Timy make up the Indonesian top team in the Philippine leg to be held at the picturesque Clearwater Country Club in this former United States base and is tagged as one of the top-seeded teams in the tournament organized by the AYN Sports Management Group and backed by PAL, Speedo, Gatorade, Globe, Absolute, the PSC and The Philippine STAR.

Timy wore the Indonesian colors in Atlanta and will be teaming up with one of her country’s most promising beach volleyball talents in Sitti. Both are also seeing action in the Hong Kong leg, where the Philippine tandem of Jennifer Bohawe and Sarah Faye Luna bowed out yesterday afternoon.

Bohawe and Luna, the reigning University Games champions, first lost to the Thai pair of Manatsanan Pangka and RattanapornArlaisuk, 15-21, 10-15, before blowing a one-set lead and a 14-11 lead in the third set to Hong Kong.

The Philippines were up, 12-5 and needed to win just three more points with that three-point advantage when everything crumbled, dropping a 21-23, 18-21, 15-17 decision.

The stop in Hong Kong, the fifth in this seven-leg, country-hopping circuit where the best players in Asia compete, will be concluded today after which some of the players are expected to plane in to prepare for the Philippine stop which starts Wednesday.

Thailand, like Indonesia and the Philippines will be fielding in two teams each, with Kamoltip Kulna and Jarunee Sannok being the second Thai team, and Emerita Arisanti and Ninik Nuraida making up the next Indon team.