By Jelly Musico
ABU DHABI – A former varsity player and a father inspired by his son to play table tennis again bagged a gold medal in the men’s doubles of the table tennis competition in the Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026 (OMGAD) at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center on Thursday.
John Suico and David Lo, both overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) based in Dubai, dominated two teams from India in the semifinals, 3-0, and finals, 3-0, to complete a golden finish in the men’s doubles 45+ category.
“We’re very happy to win the gold medal. The support of the Filipino community here is overwhelming,” Suico, a former varsity player of St. Mary’s College in Davao and a former coach of a table tennis club in Dubai, said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency.
Both Suico and Lo have also reached the quarterfinals in the men’s singles 45+ division.
“Tomorrow (Friday), we will also play in the singles quarterfinals. Baka nga kami rin magharap sa finals (We might also face each other in the finals),” Lo said, as he looked at his partner and both burst into laughter.
“Champion na rin sya (David) kagaya ng kanyang anak (He is already a champion now, like his son). So, we’ll see,” Suico responded.
Lo said the last time he played table tennis was in 1998, but when his son, Zach, began trying the sport in 2022, he was prompted to play again.
“Tapos noong gumaling siya maglaro, tinuturuan na rin nya ako. Baligtad na, sya na ang mas magaling (Then when he [Zach] improved a lot, he began teaching me, too. It is the other way around now, he’s the better one),” David said.
He said his 12-year-old son is now competing and winning championships in different tournaments, including in the United States.
“This coming April, uuwi kami sa Pilipinas. Papasalihin ko anak ko sa mga tournaments doon (This coming April, we will return to the Philippines. I will ask him to participate in tournaments),” he said.
David is hoping that his son will continue his passion for the sport and play for the national team in the future.
“Yun talaga pangarap ko sa kanya na makapagdala ng karangalan for our country (That is my ultimate dream – that he would be able to bring our country honor),” he said.
Meanwhile, another Filipino pair, Jeremiah Manalastas and Darryl Padilla, also clinched a medal after finishing third in the men’s doubles 30+ division.
Manalastas, also an OFW based in Abu Dhabi, added that he is set to compete in the singles 40+ category, hoping to also take the gold despite the competitive players in his division. (PNA)
