Hangzhou Asiad gold on Alido's mind

MANILA, Philippines – Ira Alido, a former national team mainstay and now one of the Philippine Golf Tour’s leading players, believes he’s more than ready to face the best and the brightest in the region and help lead the country’s medal drive in the Asian Games unfolding in Hangzhou, China later this month.

Alido and Clyde Mondilla have been tapped to reinforce the country’s campaign in the quadrennial Games from September 23 to October 8, one year after its original schedule in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Completing the four-team cast are amateurs Aidric Chan and Carl Corpus.

While he has represented the country in various international competitions as an amateur, Alido, who has won two pro championships, said his upcoming stint back with the national team is one offer and chance he wouldn’t pass up.

“It was honestly a no-brainer to decide to play in the Asian Games since this would be my first one in my career and I’m always up for the task in representing the country whenever given the chance,” said Alido, who is currently honing up for the Asiad with Mondilla in the ICTSI Del Monte Championship in Bukidnon.

“I’ve had plenty of experience during my amateur days to represent the country,” said Alido. “And it was mostly just scheduling and choosing whether it was worth missing other tournaments that I had planned for this year.”

Aware of the kind of test awaiting them in Hangzhou, Alido has set his sights not just on improving the country’s eighth place finish in a field of 20 in the last Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018 but on the prized jewel.

“Not only do I think we’re ready to compete with Asia’s best but obviously we have our eyes set on the gold,” he said.

With Mondilla also confident of reaching top form in time for the Asiad, Alido is likewise pinning his hopes on their two amateur teammates.

“I love playing with them (Chan and Corpus). We basically grew up together and they were my rivals growing up and teammates since our national team days,” said Alido. “I’m really excited to be playing alongside them again and see how far we’ve all come these days.”

Golf competitions in the Asian Games will be played from September 28 to October 1.

The national golf team leaves for China on September 24.

The men’s defending champion is Japan, which swept both the individual and team gold, which Team Philippines matched in the women’s side behind Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go.