Manila: With soft tennis out of the 2025 SEA Games calendar, Bien Zoleta-Ma±alac is setting her sights on the Asian Championships scheduled from Sept. 13 to 23 in Mungyeong, South Korea. In 2016, she bagged two bronzes coming from the singles and team events when the tournament was held in Chiba, Japan.

According to Philippines News Agency, Zoleta-Ma±alac expressed her goal to reach the podium again and hopes to improve her medal performance. In preparation for the Asian Championships, she and her teammates will participate in the 2nd International Soft Tennis Tournament from March 16-23 in Greater Noida, India, followed by a one-month training camp in South Korea.

The team includes Zoleta's younger sister Bambi, Princess Catindig, Christy Sa±osa, Virvien Bejosano, Bea Ebriega, Shyryn Salazar, Joseph Arcilla, Dheo Talatayod, Patrick Mendoza, Adjuthor Moralde, and siblings Samuel and Sherwin Nuguit. Head coach Michael Enriquez will be assisted by coaches Josephine Paguyo, Wenifredo De Leon, and Mark Anthony Alcoseba.

Aside from Zoleta-Ma±alac, only Catindig and Arcilla have previously competed in Chiba, Japan. The team is eagerly anticipating the tournament in India and the training camp in South Korea to enhance their skills for the Asian Championships. Zoleta-Ma±alac previously secured bronze medals in the mixed and team events at the 2011 SEA Games in Palembang, Indonesia.

Last year, she and Catindig claimed the doubles bronze medal at the Sunchang Open in South Korea, facing a narrow defeat in the semifinals against local players Lee Hangyeol and Kim Koeun. Zoleta-Ma±alac is the third Filipino to win a bronze medal at the World Soft Tennis Championships, following Paguyo in 1995 and Arcilla in 2011.