IN an all-Filipino finale, Jonathan Reyes rallied from a two-set deficit to surge past Christopher Buraga 14-12, 11-8, 6-11, 14-12, 11-1 and rule the boys’ Under-19 event of the 2nd Southeast Asian Junior Individual Championships in Bangkok, Thailand over the weekend.
Starting strong, Reyes won the nail-biting opening set but dropped the next two before regaining his bearings to clinch the last two sets in 58 minutes of play in front of delighted Philippines Squash Academy president Robert Bachmann.
“Reyes demonstrated incredible resilience and fighting spirit, refusing to give up. He fought back valiantly in levelling the match at 2-2 with a stunning comeback,” Bachmann, also the president of the Southeast Asia Squash Federation president, said.
“The match was a true showcase of talent and determination but Buraga must have felt tired after his teammate recovered and could no longer sustain his play,” he added.
The PSA head pointed out that the all-Pinoy finals was “a testament to the rising talent in Philippine squash. We are incredibly proud of our young athletes,” and thanked the Philippine Sports Commission for supporting the trip.
He said the performance of the two players augurs well when the PSA hosts the SEA Squash Championships at the PSA National Training Center in early June.
