Progella, Pagara turn back China for PH’s maiden Asian Games beach volleyball medal

Khylem Harl Progella and Sofiah Shanine Pagara complete a thrilling come-from-behind win over China to give the Philippines its first-ever beach volleyball medal in the Asian Games

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines captured a breakthrough Asian Games medal in beach volleyball as the duo of Khylem Harl Progella and Sofiah Shanine Pagara escaped with a bronze on Friday, October 2. 

Progella and Pagara completed a thrilling come-from-behind 13-21, 23-21, 15-13 win over China’s Cao Shuting and Don Jie in the battle for bronze at the Hekinan Ryokuchi Beach Court in Japan.

Only in their early 20s, the Alas Pilipinas duo displayed steely resolve against their older Chinese foes, bouncing back from a first-set blowout and saving match point en route to giving the country its first medal in the sport, which debuted in the Asian Games in 1998. 

The Philippines teetered on the brink of defeat when China grabbed a 20-19 lead in the second set, but Pagara scored on a drop shot that knotted the score and sparked a 4-1 run that sent the match into a decider. 

China once again led 12-11 in the third set, only to fall short again as Progella and Pagara clinched four of the next five points to nail the bronze.

Progella, 20, and Pagara, 20, redeemed themselves after kissing their golden aspirations goodbye following a straight-sets defeat to Thailand in the semifinals. 

That marked the Filipinas’ only loss as they went unbeaten in the preliminary round with a 3-0 record, swept Hong Kong in the round of 16, and edged top seed Japan in the semifinals.

Earlier in the tournament, Alas Pilipinas’ other beach volleyball tandem of Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons crashed out of the quarterfinals.

Rondina and Pons, the reigning Southeast Asian Games champion, absorbed a narrow 21-17, 12-21, 15-13 loss to Thailand’s Taravadee Naraphornrapat and Worapeerachayakorn Kongphopsarutawadee on Wednesday, September 30. – Rappler.com