Teenager Cruz continues steady rise

Kheith Rhynne Cruz —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Seventeen-year-old Kheith Rhynne Cruz continued her rise in global table tennis, securing two bronze medals at the prestigious World Table Tennis Youth Contender in San Francisco, California.

The top-ranked Filipino youth player excelled in the under-19 mixed doubles with Bosman Botha of the United States and clinched another bronze in the under-19 girls singles.

This success comes just weeks after Cruz’s remarkable performance at the 2024 US Open Championships in Las Vegas, where she earned a gold, a silver and a bronze. Her recent triumphs propelled her to World No. 33 in the youth category rankings, an impressive five-spot climb, with 2,425 points.

“Kheith is a big asset to our national team,” said Philippine Table Tennis Association president Ting Ledesma. “These are exciting times for Philippine table tennis. We will surely field a strong team in the coming Southeast Asian Games.”

Younger brother

Kheith’s younger brother, Khevin Cruz, is also making waves on the international stage. At the same WTT Youth Contender event, Khevin claimed silver in the boys under-15 singles, narrowly losing a hard-fought final to Thailand’s Thitaphat Preechayan. He also secured gold in the under-13 boys doubles alongside Liam Zion Cabalu, a fellow National Sports Academy standout, at the US Open.

Historically dominated by Singapore, the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand could see a strong challenge from Team Philippines. Veterans such as John Russel Misal, a SEA Games bronze medalist, and 2018 Youth Olympian Jann Nayre are expected to complement the Cruz siblings’ contributions.