The Philippines picked up two medals on the second day of the World Pickleball Championship 2023 in Bali, Indonesia last Wednesday.
Winona Cabardo, who plays for the Philippine Pickleball Team, defeated Gaby Zoleta, who represents Lucena City Pickleball Club, in an all-Filipino final in the women’s 19+ 3.5 singles category.
The Philippines currently has three medals after Sommer Cena in the women’s singles 3.5 category for LCPC.
Gaby, niece of Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Bien Zoleta, still held her head high as she was able to make it into the podium despite coming off from a shoulder injury.
She cited her background in soft tennis as crucial to her success.
“I’m already training for a month in tennis so i consider my tennis training as part of my preparation in pickleball,” Zoleta told DAILY TRIBUNE in an online conversation.
“Groundstrokes are almost the same but there are some strokes in soft tennis that aren’t used in pickleball.”
She will take another crack at the gold medal as Zoleta teams up with her father, Karl Zoleta, in the mixed doubles on Friday.
