Members of the Philippine petanque squad with Malaysian coach Zani Lisa Mohamed (center) during practice at the Lawn Bowls and Petanque National Training Center in Clark, Pampanga on July 29, 2025. The Filipinos are preparing for the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand this December. (Contributed photo)
The Philippine national petanque team is aiming for a stronger showing at the upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand, set to take place from December 9 to 20, 2025.
After securing just one bronze medal in the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia—thanks to the women’s doubles pair of April Alarcon and Maria Corazon Soberre—the team is now looking to bounce back with a deeper medal haul.
“This year, we’re fielding a much stronger team,” said head coach Ambrocio Gontinas Jr. “We’ve brought in additional expertise and support, and I believe we’re in a much better position to succeed.”
Helping lead the team’s preparations is Zani Lisa Mohamed, a seasoned coach who formerly led Malaysia’s petanque team. Since July 1, she has been working closely with the Filipino athletes at the Lawn Bowls and Petanque National Training Center in Clark, Pampanga.
“Our players are training hard, and their motivation is high,” said Gontinas, a 2005 SEA Games veteran and former national dragon boat paddler. “We’re focusing on refining technique and developing consistency, which are both crucial in petanque.”
A total of 11 gold medals will be contested in the petanque events this year. These include competitions in men’s and women’s singles, doubles, and triples (including mixed team formats), as well as precision shooting for both men and women.
The Philippine delegation will include 22 athletes—12 men and 10 women—all determined to make their mark on the regional stage.
“They’re all fighters,” Gontinas added. “We’re going to Thailand ready to battle.”
To further sharpen their skills, the team will head to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this September for two invitational tournaments and a training camp.
Petanque, a sport with French roots, is played on rough terrain where players aim to throw steel balls as close as possible to a small wooden target ball, known as a cochonnet. The sport has grown in popularity in Southeast Asia and continues to gain ground in the Philippines.
