Pinays prove Olympic worth

MANILA, Philippines —  It may not be a victory. But the way Bernadeth Pons and Sisi Rondina battled in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour, they showed they deserved to be there.

“Margins this small only prove one thing, we belong on this stage,” said a proud Pons after their 21-19, 21-17 defeat to Denmark’s Cirkeline Roed Hog and Sofia Norager Bisgaard in Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, Laguna yesterday.

The Southeast Asian Games gold medalists didn’t let the star-studded event intimidate them a bit and brought everything on the table, making their more experienced Danish foes work a little harder in the event serving as the first of many roads to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

It was a result that pushed the Filipinas on the brink of elimination though.

Pons, who is back on the sands after helping Creamline to the PVL All-Filipino Conference crown, vowed to get back on track when they face Swiss misses Annique Niederhauser and Menia Bentele needing a victory to advance to the next round.

“We dust ourselves off and come back stronger, on to the next,” she added.