The Philippines won the gold medal in the mixed team event of the 9th Asian Soft Tennis Championship in Mungyeong City, South Korea on Monday (Sept. 22, 2025). The Philippine team is composed of (from left) Patrick Mendoza, Samuel Nuguit, Joseph Arcilla, Bien Zoleta, Princess Catindig, and Christy Sañosa. (Contributed photo)
The Philippine soft tennis team has etched its name in history, capturing its first-ever gold medal at the Asian level after clinching the mixed team event crown at the 9th Asian Soft Tennis Championship in Mungyeong, South Korea, which wrapped up Monday.
At the Mugyeong International Soft Tennis Stadium, Joseph Arcilla and Samuel Nuguit struck first with a victory in men’s doubles, followed by Bien Zoleta and Princess Catindig’s triumph in women’s doubles, sealing a 2-0 sweep over powerhouse China. The mixed doubles pair of Patrick Mendoza and Christy Sañosa was no longer fielded after the outcome was decided.
The Philippines’ road to gold included dominant wins against Cambodia (2-0) in the quarterfinals and India (2-0) in the semifinals.
“I am so happy and proud because this is another historic win for us—it’s the Philippines’ first gold medal in an Asian-level tournament,” said Zoleta. “The last time we reached the finals was in 2012, when we won the silver.”
Zoleta added that the women’s team’s qualification for the 2026 Asian Games made the victory even more meaningful. “The men already qualified after taking bronze in last year’s World Championship. Now both men and women can compete in the Asian Games,” she explained.
Head coach Michael John Enriquez, along with assistant coaches Josephine Paguyo, Wenifredo De Leon Jr., and Mark Anthony Alcoseba, steered the squad through a rigorous training camp in Sunchang from August 24 to September 13 before the competition.
Arcilla, who also bagged gold at the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games, said: “I am very happy because we finally won our first Asian Championship gold. All our hard work really paid off.”
This victory builds on the team’s international momentum, after collecting eight medals—one gold, four silvers, and three bronzes—at the Poland Cup last July, their first European campaign.
Zoleta, who previously won bronze at the 2015 World Soft Tennis Championships in India, follows the trail of Filipino medalists Josephine Paguyo (1995, Japan) and Arcilla (2011, Korea), marking another milestone in Philippine soft tennis history.
