HINDI bentahe ang taas sa beach volleyball.

Ito ang pinatunayan nina Ayumi Kusano at Takemi Nishibori ng Japan nang madomina ang mas matatangkad na karibal na sina Paula Soria at Maria Belen Carro ng Spain, 21-14, 21-18, para makopo ang gintong medalya sa women’s division ng FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Manila Open nitong Linggo sa Sands SM By The Bay.

Matapos ma-saved ng Spaniards ang match points sa tatlong pagkakataon, humataw si Nishibori para maitarak ang championship point at makumpleto ang kampanya sa kabuuan na may malinis na marka na 6-0 sa torneo na inorganisa ng Beach Volleyball Republic.

“So happy. Perfect,” pahayag ni Kusano.

Goodbye PBA? John Amores, tinanggalan na ng professional license!

Naisalba ng Japan ang pagkadehado sa height ng Spaniards, gamit ang bilis at diskarte para makopo ang US$1,000 top prize.

“We used our brains,” sambit ni Kusano, nagwagi rin sa spike for Peace invitational championship may tatlong taon na ang nakalilipas sa Philsports Arena.

Nakopo naman ng tambalan nina Erika Bobadilla at Michelle Amarilla ng Paraguay ang bronze medal nang manaig sa Japanese rival na sina

Tanaka Shinako at Fujii Sakurako, 21-17, 21-16.

Ito ang unang medalya ng Paraguay sa FIVB World Tour.

“Well, we finished fifth (in Langkawi) so this was a lot better because we made it to the semifinals. Playing the last game I think is one of the best things for every player. You are so prepared mentally coming to a tournament. Playing in three days, four days or five days,” sambit ni Bobadilla.

“We loved Manila. We were so easily adjusted here. Having people being supportive for us is really, really great for us,” aniya.

Umusad sina Kusano at Nishibori sa finals nang magwagi sa all-Japanese semifinals kontra Shinako at Sakurako, 21-13, 21-16, habang sina Soria at Carro ay nagwagi via 21-16, 21-15 decision kina Bobadilla at Amarilla.

Sa men’s division, naisaayos nina Russia’s Peter Bakhnar at high-serving Taras Myskiv ang gold medal showdown laban kina Germany’s Max-Jonas Karpa at Milan Sievers.

Ginapi nina Bakhnar at Myskiv ang tambalan nina Alejandro at Javier Huerta ng Spain, 21-18, 17-21, 20-18, habang nanaig sina Karpa at Sievers kontra Switzerland’s Michiel Zandbergen at Gabriel Kisling, 21-17, 21-16.