NAGOYA-They targeted gold and settled for silver but Abegail Sinogbuhan, Jean Marie Sucalit and substitute Nelly Jay Saron still made Philippine sepak takraw history with their runner-up finish in the women’s doubles at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games on Tuesday at Mizuho Park Gymnasium.
They were determined and focused to go after the top of the podium, but Vietnam-behind Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, Nguyen Thi Khanh Ly and Le Thi Hong Lien-was a better team and bagged gold, 15-8, 15-4.
‘Mixed emotions,’ team captain Abegail Sinogbuhan said. ‘We didn’t expect to reach the final, the only prayer we asked God was for us to medal.’
But the Vietnamese were the superior team-they pulled away midway the opening set and left the Filipinos no chance to close the gap.
Despite missing out on the gold, the Philippine trio still made history by delivering the country’s best-ever finish in sepak takraw at the Asian Games.
‘This silver medal gives us a great feeling, this is for the Lord,’ Sinogbuhan said.
The Philippines defeated host Japan and India and despite losing to South Korea, they advanced to the semifinals where the Filipinos swept Laos, 15-12, 15-10, for a place in the final.
‘All the sacrifices and struggle of the team flashed back to me,’ Sucalit said. ‘We used to come home from a competition abroad without a medal, now were going home with a silver.’
The silver was Philippine sepak takraw’s second medal after the men’s regu team bagged bronze the other day.
Sepak Takraw Pilipinas president Karen Tanchanco-Caballero expressed pride as she stressed on the years of hard work and sacrifices that went into their historic silver-medal finish.
‘Nothing but great pride and honor. All their hard work not just months but years leading to this. We needed this break for a long time,’ she said. ‘I’m just so proud, that’s why I was very specific that I wanted to really sit beside them as team manager, not as an NSA president. Because I want to share this journey with them. All the sacrifices that the’ve been through.’