Near-misses cap PH campaign as athletes take home lessons and medals
MANAMA—The Philippines endured a day of near-misses at the Asian Youth Games, falling short of the podium on several fronts.
But the national delegation will leave Bahrain with lessons that might weigh more than medals.
Alas Pilipinas dropped the battle for the bronze to Thailand, 26-24, 25-20, 26-24, in a tense battle that reflected how the national volleyball program has closed the gap between the Philippines and Asia’s volleyball powers.
Rhose Almendralejo scored 15 points, while Harlyn Serneche and Samantha Cantada added eight apiece. But for Jai Adrao, who finished with five points and two blocks, the game was about more than numbers.
“As we can see, we stay close every set, but in the end, we lose our grip of the match,” she said. “Maybe that’s where the coaches’ reminder comes in—to keep our movement clean. Our lapses and errors show up in the crucial moments.”
Still, Adrao’s disappointment quickly turned into gratitude.
“Not everyone gets to experience this. I’m thankful to the PNVF (Philippine National Volleyball Federation), PSC (Philippine Sports Commission), POC (Philippine Olympic Committee) and our NU (National University) management. We all worked hard for this. Even if we fell short, we fought together.”
In jiujitsu, Zeus Babanto came within seconds of bronze before being caught in a submission by Saudi Arabia’s Adam Fernani. Sachi Khonghun and Jin Gabriel Ong also lost their medal matches, both by narrow margins.
Cyclist CJ Cabrejos placed 12th in the boys’ 99.6-kilometer road race, finishing 21 seconds behind the winner, Hong Kong’s Lee Wan Chun. His time—2:24:15—kept him among Asia’s fastest young riders, while teammates Carl Laurence Espinosa and Joelian Abdul Hamid learned firsthand how grueling the regional stage can be.
But their fight didn’t go unnoticed as Adrao said the young Filipinos never felt alone.
“Even when we lose, we feel the support of our countrymen,” she said. “It feels like home, even abroad. Filipinos still cheer for us, win or lose.”
The Philippines still wound up with six gold medals, the country’s finest performance in the event.
