Rheyjey “Sawsaw” Ortouste – Sepak Takraw Player Biography
Early Life and Personal Background
Rheyjey C. Ortouste (nicknamed “Sawsaw”) is a veteran sepak takraw striker from Cebu City, Philippines. He was born and raised in Barangay Labangon, Cebu City.
He attended Abellana National High School in Cebu, where he first excelled in the sport: at the 2009 Palarong Pambansa (national youth games) he helped Central Visayas win gold in the team event, and in 2010 won gold in the “best regu” event for his region.
His first international competition was at the ASEAN School Games in Malaysia (around 2011). In 2011, Ortouste made his senior national-team debut at the Southeast Asian Games in Palembang, Indonesia, winning bronze (with partner Jayson Huerte) in men’s doubles regu. (This marked the beginning of a long partnership with veteran Huerte.)
Sepak Takraw Career and Achievements
Ortouste has been a mainstay of the Philippine men’s sepak takraw team for over a decade. He is known for his powerful striking and ball-control skills. Key highlights of his career include:
2011 SEA Games (Palembang, Indonesia) – Bronze in men’s doubles regu (with Jason Huerte). This was Ortouste’s international debut medal.
2013 SEA Games (Naypyidaw, Myanmar) – Bronze in men’s regu (doubles regu event). Ortouste teamed with Emmanuel Escote and Jayson Huerte to earn bronze in what Spin.ph called the final medal for the Philippines that year.
2015 SEA Games (Singapore) – Silver in men’s regu. Ortouste and Huerte reached the finals but lost to Myanmar, settling for silver. (SunStar reported “Ortouste and Huerte settled for a silver in last June’s SEA Games after losing to Myanmar”.)
2016 King’s Cup / World Championships (Bangkok, Thailand) – Gold in men’s regu. Ortouste led the Philippine team (with Huerte and Mark Gonzales) to a historic victory, defeating Myanmar 12–21, 21–17, 21–17 in the final. Cebu Daily News noted Ortouste “exploded for 35 points … to lead the Philippines” to its first-ever gold in that tournament. (Ortouste and Huerte were thus the reigning world champions going into 2017.)
2017 SEA Games (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) – Bronze in men’s doubles (regu) and Bronze in men’s regu. (Manila Bulletin reported that Ortouste, Huerte and Mark Gonzales repeated their bronze finish at the 2017 Games, and that the PH team also took bronze in men’s regu.)
2021 SEA Games (Hanoi, Vietnam; held May 2022) – Bronze in men’s regu, Bronze in men’s doubles. At the SEA Games hosted by Vietnam, the Philippine team again won two bronze medals. Manila Bulletin (via The Free Library) reported that Ortouste, Huerte, Mark Gonzales, Ronsited Gabayeron and Janjan Bobier “took bronze in men’s regu” after a semifinal loss, and that Ortouste, Huerte and Gonzales earned bronze in men’s doubles.
2022 Asian Games (Hangzhou, China; held Sept-Oct 2023) – Bronze in men’s regu, Bronze in men’s quadrant. Ortouste was part of the PH squad that reached the semifinals in both events. The Philippine Daily Inquirer noted that “Hanguzhou, China—Make it two bronze medals for the Philippine men’s sepak takraw squad. Headlined by veterans Jason Huerte and Rheyjey Ortouste… the team failed to hurdle Malaysia… to settle for [a] third-place performance in the 19th Asian Games”. He thus helped claim bronze medals in both the regu and the quadrant competitions. (The Philippine Senate later officially commended Ortouste and his teammates for the men’s regu bronze.)
2023 SEA Games (Phnom Penh, Cambodia) – Silver in men’s hoop (Chinlone) event. In May 2023, Ortouste competed in the SEA Games’s chinlone category. Inquirer Sports reported that the Philippine men’s team (including Ortouste) finished second in the men’s hoop event, behind Myanmar. “The men’s team finished in second place in the hoops takraw category,” behind gold-medal Myanmar, giving Ortouste a silver medal (the only sepak takraw medal for PH at those Games).
Below is a summary table of Ortouste’s major international medals:
Year Competition (Location) Event/Category Medal Notes
2013 27th SEA Games (Myanmar) Men’s Doubles Regu Bronze With Emmanuel Escote & Jason Huerte
2015 28th SEA Games (Singapore) Men’s Regu Silver Reached final vs. Myanmar
2016 31st King’s Cup (Bangkok, THA) Men’s Regu Gold World Championship (first-ever PH gold in this event)
2017 29th SEA Games (KL, Malaysia) Men’s Regu Bronze PH men’s team bronze
2017 29th SEA Games (KL, Malaysia) Men’s Doubles Regu Bronze Huerte–Ortouste–Gonzales team bronze
2021 31st SEA Games (Hanoi, Vietnam) Men’s Regu Bronze PH team lost semis to Malaysia
2021 31st SEA Games (Hanoi, Vietnam) Men’s Doubles Regu Bronze Ortouste–Huerte–Gonzales team
2022 19th Asian Games (Hangzhou, China) Men’s Regu Bronze Semifinal finish; commended by Philippine Senate
2022 19th Asian Games (Hangzhou, China) Men’s Quadrant Bronze Same squad earned second bronze medal
2023 32nd SEA Games (Phnom Penh, Cambodia) Men’s Hoop (Chinlone) Silver Finished 2nd in hoop/katok category at SEA Games
(References: official news reports and federation releases cited above.)
Contributions to the Philippine National Team
Over many years Ortouste has been a key veteran leader for Team Pilipinas. He has anchored the front line (spiker) in both doubles and regu events, often in tandem with compatriot Jason Huerte. The two became the reigning world champions after their 2016 King’s Cup victory. Coaches and media have praised Ortouste’s experience and court intelligence. For example, a PNA report highlighted that winning multiple SEA Games medals with Huerte was a long-term goal (“debuted in 2011 SEA Games, won bronze” and “duplicated their bronze… in 2013, and silver in 2015”). His consistent scoring ability (“powerful smashes”) and composure under pressure have been credited with pushing the Philippine team into higher finishes. By 2023 he remained one of the team’s elder statesmen, often chosen in the core lineup for regu and chinlone events.
Recognition in Media and Public Profiles
Ortouste’s achievements have drawn national attention. Major sports media have featured him frequently. Cebu Daily News (Inquirer) headlined him for leading PH to historic gold in Bangkok (King’s Cup 2016), noting his 35-point effort in the final. SunStar Cebu (2015) introduced him as “Cebuano striker Rheyjey Ortouste” when covering PH team victories. The Philippine News Agency (government sports wire) ran an extensive feature on him in 2017, noting his Cebu roots and his SEA Games and King’s Cup medal history. After the 2022 Asian Games, the Philippine Senate even issued a formal resolution “commending Rheyjey Ortouste, Jason Huerte, Ronsited Gabayeron, Mark Joseph Gonzales and Jom Lerry Rafael for winning bronze in sepak takraw men’s regu”. Inquirer Sports and other outlets also covered his recent SEA and Asian Games results. Overall, Ortouste is regularly cited in press reports as a key member of the national team, and his nickname “Sawsaw” is known among fans.
Online Presence
Ortouste maintains an active online presence. Highlights of his play are widely shared on YouTube (e.g. match clips and “slam” compilations). He also appears on social media under the handle “Sawsaw” (for example, a TikTok account @sawsawtakrawsapinas shows videos of his training and matches). His Facebook page (under his name) and local sepak takraw community groups often feature his tournament appearances. Through these platforms, fans watch his match highlights and training drills. (For instance, YouTube channels dedicated to Philippine sepak takraw have posted clips of Ortouste’s spikes and rallies.)
Coaching, Mentoring, and Community Involvement
There are no widely published reports of Ortouste holding formal coaching positions, but as a seasoned national athlete he has taken on an informal mentorship role. In Cebu and national tournaments, younger players look up to him. His lengthy career and success have made him a role model; local reports often note his leadership and experience. It is likely he has participated in grassroots clinics or training camps (common for Philippine sports veterans), though specific details are not reported in the sources. Regardless, his presence in the community—particularly in Cebu City—has helped promote sepak takraw to a new generation of players.
Sources: Credible news and sports federation reports have been used throughout (e.g. PNA, Cebu Daily News, Inquirer Sports, Manila Bulletin, SunStar). These provide dates, event names, and outcomes for Ortouste’s achievements, as well as background on his life and career. All medal results and quotes above are drawn from these sources. (A table of his major medals is included based on these reports.)
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