THE Philippine women’s doubles team settled for silver after falling to Vietnam, 15-8, 15-5, in the sepak takraw finals of the 20th Asian Games on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Gymnasium.
Cebuana striker Jean Marie Sucalit and Abegail Sinogbuhan, with substitute Nelly Jay Salon, could not sustain their impressive run as Vietnam seized control early and completed a straight-set victory.
The Filipinas struggled to keep pace with the Vietnamese in the opening set, falling behind before Vietnam closed it out, 15-8.
The Vietnamese duo of Nguyen Thi Thu Trang and Nguyen Thi Khanh Ly then quickly established a 6-1 advantage in the second set and never allowed the Philippines to mount a serious comeback, wrapping up the gold with a 15-5 victory.
Despite the loss, the silver marked a historic finish for Philippine sepak takraw in the Asian Games.
The Filipinas reached the gold-medal match after defeating Laos, 15-12, 15-10, in the semifinals on Monday. That victory guaranteed the Philippines at least a silver medal and secured the country’s best finish in the women’s doubles event.
The team had earlier advanced from the group stage with a 2-1 record, beating Japan and India before losing to South Korea.
The silver was the Philippines’ second medal in sepak takraw in Nagoya after the men’s regu team captured bronze.
As of 10 a.m. Tuesday, the country’s medal tally rose to 15, including two golds -- courtesy of gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo, three silvers and 10 bronze medals.
For Vietnam, the victory ended a 20-year wait for gold in the women’s doubles event. / LBG
