THE PHILIPPINE women’s sepak takraw doubles team made history Tuesday, settling for silver after Vietnam prevailed, 15-8, 15-4, in the gold-medal match of the Asian Games at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Gymnasium in Japan.

Abegail Sinogbuhan and Jean Marie Sucalit saw action for the Philippines, with Nelly Jay Salon completing the three-member squad.

Vietnam controlled the match from the outset, preventing the Filipinas from finding a rhythm and sustaining a serious challenge for the gold.

Despite the defeat, the silver marked the Philippines’ best-ever finish in women’s sepak takraw at the Asian Games since the sport was introduced to the continental competition in 1990.

The Filipinas opened their campaign by defeating host Japan and India before dropping a preliminary-round match to South Korea. Their 2-1 record was enough to send them through to the knockout stage.

They produced their biggest win in the semifinals, overcoming Laos, 15-12, 15-10, to book the Philippines’ first Asian Games final appearance in women’s sepak takraw.

That victory assured the country of a historic medal even before Tuesday’s final.

The silver also gave the Philippines its third silver of the Nagoya Games and brought its overall medal haul to 15, including two golds and 10 bronzes at that point.

It was also the country’s second sepak takraw medal in Nagoya, following the bronze won by the Philippine men’s regu team.

Sinogbuhan, Sucalit and Salon’s breakthrough performance adds another significant chapter to the Philippines’ growing presence in sepak takraw and gives the women’s program a landmark result to build on in future Asian Games.