Quang Ninh, May 13 (VNA) – Philippines trounced Malaysia 3-0 at the opening match of ongoing SEA Games 31’s indoor handball competition which started in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh’s Ha Long city on May 13.

Philippine athletes overwhelmed their Malaysian rivals and won all the three rounds of the match.

According to experts, the Philippine women's team is among the strong competitors at the Games. Before coming to Vietnam, they were trained for two weeks in Brazil.

SEA Games 31 handball events, lasting until May 22, see the participation of five female and seven male teams.

In the women’s category, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia compete in a round-robin format to find four squads to compete in the semi-finals and the final.

Also on May 13, Indonesia is scheduled to meet Myanmar in the men’s category and Vietnam to compete against Indonesia in the women’s category./.