Filipino table tennis bets eye Olympic berths in Thailand qualifiers

MANILA, Philippines – A crack, four-strong Philippine table tennis team seeks to defy overwhelming odds as it shoots for Paris Olympics berths in the Southeast Asia Olympic Qualifying tilt set May 8-10 in Thailand.

John Mari Nayre, John Russel Misal, Kheith Rhynn Cruz and Angel Joyce Laude will try to thread the proverbial eye of the needle as they will be gunning for the lone spot each in the men’s and women’s divisions in the three-day meet.

Accompanying the four are coaches Lauro Crisostomo and Johanne Remaneses.

“Only the champion in the men’s and women’s events will qualify to the Olympics,” Philippine Table Tennis Federation Inc. secretary-general Pong Ducanes told The STAR on Monday.

Ducanes said they’re pinning their hopes on the training of the national team abroad would produce desired results.

Nayre and Cruz have seen action and trained in the United States and Europe, while Misal has trained for a month in Indonesia.

Laude trained locally because he had to say due to academics.

“The team will do their best to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris,” said Ducanes. “Hopefully, joining tournaments and training internationally the past few months will pay off.” — Joey Villar