By Rainne Nocete | October 4, 2023
Twelve Sillimanians represented the Philippines in the first-ever Asian Roundnet Federation (ARF) Cup 2023 from Sept. 21 to 24 at Denpasar Bali, Indonesia.
The women’s and mixed division squads bagged first runner-up, while the men’s division clinched second runner-up.
Despite being blocked from the finals by Australia, the men’s team secured their podium spot after winning a bronze game against the host country, Indonesia.
Meanwhile, the women’s and mixed divisions collected victories against Japan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia; but lost to Taiwan in the finals.
According to Francis Aldecoa, a third-year entrepreneurship student, their next goal is to join the world tournament.
“We hope the university and the students can show support towards local athletes,” he said.
Maikela Solomon, a College of Business Administration alumni from the women’s squad, also expressed that this win showed that “local players can excel even in the international arena.”
She encouraged Sillimanians to learn the sport and called on the university to teach it in physical education classes.
“If you need coaches/trainers, we would be happy to do it. If you wanna try playing, we are at Rusi Ballfield and Ang Tay Golf Course,” she said.
Other Sillimaninas who represented the Philippines are as follows: Jesse Apor, Elizabeth Jane Sienes, Harritz Libatog, Lytton Artiaga, Kirk Masangkay, Kyle Reynado, Jason Papelleras, Aileen Anlap, and Janixter Jordan.
