Ran Abdilla (right) secures ball possession while Cebuano James Buytrago looks on, ready to assist, during their Asian Senior Beach Volleyball Championship game against Japan. | Photo from PNVF
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebuano beach volleyball ace James Buytrago, alongside his partner Ran Abdilla, delivered a stunning victory over the favored Japanese duo of Yoshi Hasegawa and Dylan Kurokawa.
The match took place at the Nuvali Sand Courts in Santa Rosa on Thursday, November 7, as part of the ongoing Asian Senior Beach Volleyball Championship.
The Filipino duo triumphed in a hard-fought match, winning 22-24, 24-22, 15-9, rallying from a slow start to secure a dominant finish in the decisive third set.
“We refused to give up,” said Buytrago, the pride of Bantayan Island.
“The first set was extremely challenging and frustrating, but we kept pushing forward. This win was crucial for us.”
The victory marked redemption for Buytrago and Abdilla, who had previously suffered a setback against New Zealand’s Alani Nicklin and Thomas Hartles. With this win, the pair now holds a 1-1 record in the tournament.
Looking ahead, the Cebuano tandem will face Thailand’s Netitorn Muneekul and Wachirawit Muadpha in their next pool play match.
Meanwhile, fellow Cebuano Rancel Varga and his partner Lerry Francisco faced disappointment on Thursday, falling to Thailand’s Dunwinit Kaewsai and Banlue Nakprakong, 14-21, 19-21.
In other matches, Australian duo Mark Nicolaidis and Izac Carracher secured their second consecutive win, narrowly defeating Japan’s Nassim Malki and Kosuke Fukushima, 21-16, 16-21, 15-6. They are set to face Iranian champions Abbas Pourasgari and Alireza Aghajanighasab in their next match.