Mission accomplished for Pons, Alas in hunt for SEA Games gold

BANGKOK, Thailand – Winning a Southeast Asian Games gold medal is already gratifying on its own, but to do it against a nation that had dominated for years proves much sweeter.

That is how Bernadeth Pons feels as she, Sisi Rondina, Dij Rodriguez, and Sunnie Villapando captured a historic women’s beach volleyball crown for the Philippines after dethroning eight-time champion Thailand in the final at the Jomtien Beach in Pattaya, Thailand, on Friday, December 19.

It marked the first time Thailand failed to rule the event after winning all of its eight previous stagings in the biennial showpiece.

“I really manifested this gold. I imagined this moment a lot of times and I even cried at times because I was imagining this moment. Manifestation really works. But of course, there should be hard work,” Pons said in a mix of English and Filipino.

To fulfill their golden dreams, Pons and Rondina opted to take a break from their Premier Volleyball League careers as they turned their full attention on their SEA Games redemption.

Bronze medalists in the 2019 and 2021 editions, Pons and Rondina missed the podium in 2023 in Cambodia as they played with different partners, but they teamed up again this year with hopes of rekindling their success together.

Those decisions paid dividends as the Alas Pilipinas quartet stunned a Thai side that went unbeaten in the round-robin preliminary, with both Pons-Rondina and Rodriguez-Villapando winning their matches in the best-of-three title clash.

“We knew it wasn’t easy. Thailand was the defending champion and that was one of the reasons why we chose to return to beach because we want to get back at them and make them cry in their own land,” Pons said.

“This is it. It already happened. I’m so grateful to the Lord that he didn’t abandon us all throughout our journey here in the SEA Games.” – Rappler.com