PH Satellite Series 2 squash tourney set April 13-16

The Philippine Squash Academy, Inc. (PSA) will hold the second leg of the Philippine Satellite Series starting on Thursday at the National Squash Center inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate.

Leading the Filipino campaigners are national team members Robert Andrew Garcia, David William Peliño, Reymark Begornia, Christopher Buraga, Jonathan Reyes and Meljohn Arebado.

PSA President Robert Bachmann said three foreign players, namely Wilson Chan and Anson Wong of Hong Kong and Jae-jin Yoo of South Korea are scheduled to arrive on Tuesday.

Yoo plays for the South Korea national team and is currently No. 367 in the world. Chan is No. 473 while Wong is No. 490.

Garcia, ranked No. 187, is setting his sights on sweeping the three-leg Satellite. He ruled the first leg last week.

“I hope to win until Satellite 3, then David and I do Jumbo doubles after,” Garcia said in an interview on Monday.

The third leg will be held from April 20-23.

Garcia and Peliño (No. 431) have won two titles this year. They beat locals Marcus Phua and Tan Zhi Rui in the Open category final of the 23rd International Jumbo Doubles for the President’s Cup at the Tangalin Club in Singapore on Feb. 19.

The Filipinos claimed their second consecutive title on Feb. 26, beating Indonesian pair Agung Wilant and Haris Nurhakimbuwana at the Philippine Jumbo Doubles Championships.

“We’re very grateful to the support of the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Squash Academy. It’s our first trophy at the President’s Cup Singapore Open since we started competing in 2016 and at the same time, first hosting of the Jumbo Doubles Open in the Philippines. We really prepared hard to get these two trophies,” said Garcia, who won the Philippine National Open title over Peliño last month.

He made it to the quarterfinal round at the Professional Squash Association Challenge Cup held in Hong Kong on March 15-18. (PNA)