Zamboanga Peninsula tennis player aims for Palaro gold one last time

Brent Guiao

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Zamboanga Peninsula tennis player aims for Palaro gold one last time
In Antique, Jose Pague and his group from Zamboanga Peninsula win a gold in the team competition of the secondary boys division

ANTIQUE, Philippines – Since Grade 4, Jose Pague has been participating in the annual Palarong Pambansa to prove that he is one of the country’s best tennis players. 

Pague earned the top seed after an impressive year that included winning silver in Palarong Pambansa 2016 and other  competitions like the Cebuana Lhuillier Inivitational, which he has won in the past two years.

His resume does not show failure. But for him, finishing second in the 2016 Palaro in Albay was one of the few moments when he fell short of his own expectations.

“Maka-gold, maka dalawang gold. Goal ko talaga mag-gold kasi last ko na ito, eh,”  explained the 16-year-old athlete.

(To get gold, two golds. My goal this time is to really get gold because it’s my last opportunity.)

In Antique, Pague and his team from Zamboanga Peninsula have already won a gold in the team competition of the secondary boys division. According to him, winning as a team is as important as winning as an individual. He says it was a privilege to represent his province and his school.

“Kasi yung iba pong tournaments, may points. Ito, para sa school at sa probinsya. Importante ito sa akin kasi para nga sa school,” he told Rappler.

(Because other tournaments are for points. This one is for my school and for the province. This is important to me because it is for my school.)

Learning from his grandfather

Growing up, Pague shared that he was not the best of athletes. It was really his grandfather that molded him into the player that he is today.

“Kasi yung lolo ko, tennis player din po. Nag-start lang ako, tapos nagustuhan ko kasi ng todo. Tine-training niya ako, tapos iyon.”

(My grandfather was once a tennis player. I just started playing until I enjoyed it. He trained me, then this happened.)

For him, it is his grandfather and his family that inspire him to go the extra mile. 

“Para sa kanila talaga ito. Gusto ko talagang mas gumaling,” he explained.

(This really is for my family. I really want to excel in this sport.)

After Palaro

Next year, the Ipil, Zamboanga native will be entering senior high school. He said he will be taking up the STEM program (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). 

While still two years away from college, Pague already has his future planned out. If everything goes his way, he wants to achieve his dream of being a professional tennis player in about 3 years.

“Mag-one year sabi ng sponsor ko. Mag one year lang ako doon tapos papadalhin ako sa labas.” 

(According to my sponsor, I should stay for one year. Just one year then I’ll get sent abroad to train.)

The road to becoming a professional player will be in no way easy, but Pague knows that. For him, the rarity of professional Filipino tennis players, especially those from outside Metro Manila, is what motivates him to break the norm.

“Kailangan ko talaga mag-training everyday upang ma-achieve ko yung dream ko. Kailangan talaga mag-focus.”

(I really need to train everyday to achieve my dream. I really need to focus.) – Rappler.com

Rappler intern Brent Guiao is a 2nd year BS Business Management student from De La Salle University.

READ: Palarong Pambansa 2017 stories by campus journalists

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