Pinoy shuttlers upbeat on SEA Games

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine badminton coach Arolas (Bogs) Amahit Jr. said yesterday the run-up in preparing for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games late this year is proceeding smoothly with high hopes that the host country will register a breakthrough in the sport after collecting only five bronze medals in the biennial 11-nation competition since 1981.

“We’re optimistic of performing better than ever before,” said Amahit who took over as head coach after the team went under Indonesians Rexy Mainaky and Paulus Firman for four years. “We’re better prepared and our morale is very high, particularly after winning medals in Adelaide and Sydney a few weeks ago. We had two months of training in Indonesia before playing in Australia and it looks like the hard work is paying off.”

Amahit said since assuming the head coaching position last year, the players in the national pool seem to be more responsive. “I think our players are able to relate more closely with the local coaches and it’s showing in how they’re performing,” he said. Amahit’s coaching staff is made up of Ralf Ian Mendez, Ronald Magnaye and Paul Vivas.

Mainaky, a former Olympic gold medalist in men’s doubles, coached the Philippine team for a year and Firman for three years before Amahit got the job. Amahit, 43, was a former national player and long-time assistant coach. His father Arolas Sr. was a Gintong Alay athlete who competed for the country in track in the Asian Games. His mother Virginia was a Physical Education professor. His parents were both Physical Education teachers at Mindanao State University in Marawi where he earned a degree in forestry. 

The second of three children, Amahit is married to former national badminton player Mylene Delgado and their two daughters Alyssa, 19 and Kelly Mae, 11, are both varsity shuttlers. Alyssa plays for Lyceum and Kelly Mae for Divine Word Academy. Amahit’s parents are now retired and living in Dumaguete, their hometown.  

“Our goal is to make the finals in the SEA Games,” said Amahit. “That will assure us of a silver. We’ve never gotten a medal higher than bronze in the SEA Games. Once we’re in the finals, anything can happen. A gold in the SEA Games is like a gold in the Olympics because in the SEA Games, the best players from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore compete. In Australia recently, we took medals in men’s and mixed doubles. It was our best performance ever. We played against top players from Indonesia, China and the US. We got much better because of our training in Indonesia where we learned from Olympic champion Markis Kido. There was no pressure when we played in Australia. We just went out there and played our best without any expectations.”

At the South Australia International Open in Adelaide last Sept. 12-15, the Philippines’ Philip Escueta and Paul Pantig claimed the bronze medal in men’s doubles. They bowed to Korea’s Kim Duk-young and Kim Sarang in the semifinals, 21-13, 21-6 but not before disposing of Australia’s Michael Fariman and Ming Cheng Lim, 21-10, 21-8, the US’ Philip Chew and Ryan Chew, 9-21, 22-20, 21-19 and Australia’s Maika Philips and Dacmen Vong, 21-16, 21-15.

In Sydney, Filipino shuttlers Peter Magnaye and Thea Marie Pumar captured the gold in mixed doubles by thumping New Zealand’s Oliver Leydon-Davis and Anona Pak, 21-9, 21-19 in the final last Sept. 21. Magnaye and Alvin Morada combined for the silver in men’s doubles while Morada and Alyssa Ysabel Leonardo settled for the bronze in mixed doubles.

The Philippine team will leave tomorrow for more training in Indonesia where the players are also set to compete in an international tournament on Oct. 21-27. Then, the squad of eight men and eight women will participate in the Smart National Open here on Nov. 4-9 then compete in another joust in Malaysia on Nov. 12-17.  

The Philippine badminton team failed to land a podium finish in the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.  The total haul of five bronze medals came in 1981 and 1991 with the women’s team, 1997 with Kennie Asuncion and Weena Lim in women’s doubles, 2003 with Kennevic and Kennie Asuncion in mixed doubles and 2015 with Escueta and Ronel Estanislao in men’s doubles.