Batang Pinoy officials call off Tennis matches to prioritize athlete safety

Transcript

00:00 The tennis matches at Batang Pinoy were called off today due to continuous rain.

00:05 According to event officials, the decision was made to prioritize the participants' safety above all else.

00:12 Rafael Bandayrel tells us more.

00:15 It was raining in Manila,

00:24 specifically at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex as day one of Batang Pinoy went underway.

00:30 Unfortunately for some outdoor sports, that means the action has to be stopped. The tennis event, for instance,

00:38 was supposed to begin at 9 a.m.

00:40 But as the rain mercilessly poured,

00:42 drenching the courts, the players were left with no choice but to stop and take cover.

00:47 16-year-old Ariel Cabral was prepared to play his first match at 10 o'clock in the morning.

00:52 But because of the gloomy weather, it was already 4 in the afternoon when his first match got going.

00:58 Fueled by the burning desire to finally partake in some action, the tennis star from General Trias Cavite

01:05 dominated the first set against Randy Pausanos of Sultan Kudarat.

01:09 However, Pausanos started to mount a comeback in the second set. And as the action was finally about to reach its climax,

01:16 the unexpected happened.

01:18 Mother Nature's mood swings caused another delay. As the downpour showed no signs of slowing down,

01:25 Batang Pinoy officials decided to call off the remaining matches at 5.30 in the afternoon.

01:31 According to Cabral, playing under subpar conditions definitely took a toll on his play.

01:37 The momentum was cut off.

01:39 Somehow, my eagerness to play got me fired up.

01:43 I was already covered in sweat.

01:44 Then suddenly it started raining and my body started to get cold again.

01:47 I felt like I was going to lose my will to play again.

01:49 So I had to regain my momentum to return to play.

01:52 But it took a long time.

01:54 That's why the performance was like that.

01:56 However, Ariel's own coach, Roel Licayan, understands why the action had to be stopped.

02:02 That court is dangerous because the movement of the tennis players is more in lateral.

02:10 So they can't run slowly because they need to be faster in the ball.

02:18 That's why the match had to be stopped so that no disgrace would happen.

02:23 Meanwhile, Long Tennis Tournament director Aileen Hubano says she's completely sympathetic to those who may be frustrated.

02:30 She points out, however, that some things are simply beyond anyone's control.

02:35 Unfortunately, because of the weather forecast, within the next two days,

02:40 we have a small amount of apologies to our coaches and participants.

02:44 We will force them to finish all of this until the end.

02:48 So, I said, we have a small amount of apologies and understanding because no one would like our rain here.

02:54 All unfinished matches will resume at 7am tomorrow.

02:58 That, at least, is the hope.

03:01 But that's if Mother Nature decides to finally smile upon these young tennis players.

03:07 Rafael Bandayrel for The Nation.

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