FORMER tennis ball boy Mark Anthony Alcoseba of Davao City is excited to make his debut in the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games soft tennis competition on December 7 to 10 at the newly-rehabilitated Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila.
Alcoseba, who holds a Private First Class rank in the Philippine Army, will pair with Noel Damian in doubles of the men's team event.
"Unang una po ako excited at proud na maglalaro dala bandila ng ating bansa at dito pa lalaruin sa natin. Di rin maiwasan ang pressure pero handa naman kami kasi isang taon na din naming pinaghandaan at sakripisyo," the 32-year-old Dabawenyo, who used to be a ball boy at the Sandawa and Ecoland tennis courts when he was 11, said. This urged him to also start playing the sport while being a ball boy on the side for six years when class schedules allow him.
He joined the national soft tennis team two years ago and helped the country win a team bronze in the Korea Cup 2017, a team silver in the 1st Southeast Asian Soft Tennis Championship 2017 and a team gold in Southeast Asian Soft Tennis Championship 2018.
The team event, he said, will be played by first doubles (Alcoseba-Damian), singles (Joseph Arcilla, brother of Johnny Arcilla) and the second doubles (Mikoff Mandurio and Dheo Talatayod as tie breaker).
"Sa preparation naman malaki yung naitulong yung tournament abroad at may training din kami three weeks sa Korea at nag Taiwan two weeks training with tournament. Yung mga natutunan namin sa abroad ina-apply nalang dito sa Pinas at simula 7 a.m. to 12 noon training. Yung rest day lang namin sa training ay Tuesday," he told Sun.Star via Facebook yesterday.
The father of two bagged a doubles silver medal for Davao Region in the 2005 Palarong Pambansa while he was studying at Rizal Memorial Colleges.
While at Jose Maria College then Brokenshire College, Alcoseba collected team gold medals for Davao in the National Prisaa Games (NPG) 2006 in Lingayen, Pangasinan and as well as in Iloilo City in 2007 and doubles gold in Zamboanga 2008. He at last clinched a singles gold in the 2011 NPG in Zamboanga.
He also reaped titles in the Pinamalayan Mindoro National Tennis Open 2019, Pinta Flores National Tennis Open 2018, Calbayog National Tennis Open 2017, Cainta National Tennis Open 2016, Olivarez National Tennis Open 2015, Lanao National Tennis Open 2013-2014, Carascal National Open 2013, Isulan National Open 2011, 2012, 2013 and Gensan Tuna Festival 2012.
The national soft tennis team is being housed at The Heritage Hotel Manila.