Amid pandemic, elite PH athletes rise again

While sporting events in the Philippines came to a halt because of the pandemic, there were still Filipino athletes who soldiered on and carried the country’s flag in the international arena as some events slowly eased their way back late 2020. 

These elite players not only represented the country but fought and won against top-notch competition to give the country something to cheer about and bring pride, hope, and normalcy during these difficult times.

Here, we put the spotlight first on the female fighters who carried the torch for flag and country:

Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan, golf

Together, Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan brought honor to the Philippines when they won gold medals in the 2018 Asian Games. Individually, Saso and Pagdanganan attacked the greens with such fearlessness that belied their status as rookies in the professional tour.

Saso bagged two titles and finished in the top 10 of the money-rich Japan LPGA 6 times. She has thus far earned Y93,891,170 in her campaign this year, or approximately P43 million. 

She leads the JLPGA money race and is closing in on Ayaka Furue for Player of the Year honors with still a few more events scheduled in early 2021. 

Pagdanganan tied for 9th place last October in her first LPGA major, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. The following week, she placed 3rd in the LPGA Drive On Championship. She is the current LPGA driving leader and posted the highest jump in the world rankings after her impressive run in her first major.

Saso is now ranked 45th in the world while Pagdanganan sits at the 150th spot. The two young aces are also on track to cinch spots in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Alexandra Eala, tennis

At 12 years old, Alexandra Eala already gave everyone a glimpse of her seemingly limitless potential when she won the prestigious Le Petit As Under-14 tournament in France in 2018. 

The Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy in Spain knew they found a gem and a prodigy when she joined their camp the following year. Eala is the real deal, and she could well be the next Asian tennis star.

Now 15 years old, Eala has risen to a career-high No. 2 in the world junior girls rankings. In the Australian Open which was held early this year, she partnered with Priska Nugoho of Indonesia to win the girls doubles event. 

Last October, Eala reached the girls singles semifinals of the French Open. She became the first Philippine tennis player in 35 years to make the singles semifinals of a Grand Slam junior event since Felix Barrientos made the Wimbledon juniors semis in 1985.

By November, Eala was testing the waters of the professional tour. She joined a couple of International Tennis Federation (ITF) pro events and made the 2nd round twice.

Margielyn Didal, skateboarding

The country’s top professional skateboarder, Margielyn Didal, has been recognized even beyond her sport. Time magazine named her one of the 30 most influential teens of 2018, the only one from the Philippines named to the list. The following year, Forbes magazine included her in its 30 under 30 achievers. 

The Asian Games gold medalist and SEA Games double gold medalist now has her sights set on making the Olympics, and the pandemic has not slowed down her resolve to qualify. “I still can’t imagine representing my country and raising the Philippine flag, especially at the Olympics,” she said.

The 21-year-old Cebuana currently is ranked 14th in the world, a safe enough position for her to earn a berth in the Tokyo Olympics. Before the pandemic broke out, Didal won a bronze medal in the first ever Women’s 2020 Tampa Pro Competition.

Last November 28, Didal placed 2nd to Japanese Nanaka Fukisawa in the online Madrid Urban Sports tournament. On her way to the title round, Didal won over world No. 8 Gabriela Mazetto of Brazil in the semifinals. 

Denice Zamboanga, mixed martial arts

In an otherwise bleak year for Philippine mixed martial arts which saw the country’s top fighters go down one after another in defeat, Denice Zamboanga served as the rare bright spot that was few and far between.

Zamboanga has been on a tear since joining the ONE Championship roster last year when she defeated Malaysian Jihin Radzuan in Kuala Lumpur. 

Last February 28, Zamboanga scored what easily was the biggest triumph of her MMA career when she beat top title contender Mei Yamaguchi of Japan via unanimous decision. The victory opened the doors for a possible title shot for Zamboanga against ONE Championship women’s atomweight champion Angela Lee.

The pandemic, however, stalled Zamboanga’s crack at the belt. She kept herself busy by fighting Thai fighter Watsapinya Kaewkhong in Bangkok last August 28. Zamboanga, also called “The Menace”, made short work of the Thai challenger who tapped out in just 58 seconds of the opening round.

With the win, Zamboanga extended her unbeaten record to 8-0 and showed she deserved her status as the No. 1 contender in the atomweight division. – Rappler.com