Valle wants to play for country in 2013 SEAG

MANILA, Philippines - Philippines’ national player Rodel “Ireneo” Valle, the country’s No. 1 single player, has expressed his willingness once more to play for country in next year’s Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar.

Valle, who won the gold in 2012 Philippine National Games (PNG) table tennis men’s singles open in Dumaguete City, said he never stops playing ping-pong nationwide and even representing the Philippines again in overseas competitions.

“I just want to stay fit and ready to compete at any given competition here or abroad,” said the 34-year-old policeman Valle, also a bronze medalist in the men’s doubles in the Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia last year together with partner Richard Gonzales.

The former National Open men’s singles champion said he always trains hard to condition his body everyday at the Philippine Sports Commission table tennis training center in Manila under the Table Tennis Association of the Philippines.

“I’m thankful to TATAP president Ting Ledesma for providing us great training venue and he also involves me to some free table tennis clinics nationwide,” said Valle, who won the men’s open doubles class in the PNG together with Gonzales.

Although there is no qualifying standard set yet for the 2013 SEA Games, many believe that Valle would possibly make it due to his present competitive form.

Valle is expected to participate in the Mayor Junjun Binay Cup national quarterly table tennis men’s singles open this October at the Makati Coliseum.