The ship headed for the 2024 Paris Olympics is about to sail, and six Filipinos are already on board: three boxers, two gymnasts, and a pole vaulter.
Ernest John Obiena was the first to hop on.
Ranked the second-best pole vaulter in the world, the 26-year-old Obiena soared through the skies of Stockholm to clear the Olympic mark via a 5.82-meter performance in the Wanda Diamond League Galan meet in July last year.
Gymnasts Carlos Yulo and Aleah Finnegan are also expected to make their presence felt.
The 23-year-old Yulo reserved his Olympic slot after emerging on top in the floor exercise event of the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium last November, while the comely Filipino-American Finnegan made history by becoming the first Filipina gymnast to qualify in the country’s 100 years of participation in the Summer Games.
Of course, hopes will always be high for the three boxers.
Eumir Marcial, a bronze medalist in Tokyo, will get a chance to redeem himself in the City of Love after clinching the silver medal in the men’s 80-kilogram class in the 19th Asian Games in September last year.
He will be joining Olympic silver medalist Nesthy Petecio and newcomer Aira Villegas, who displayed impressive performances that led to their Olympic qualification in the women’s 57-kg and 50-kg events, respectively, in the 2024 1st World Olympic Boxing Qualifying in Busto Arsizio, Italy.
But the Olympic party for the Filipinos could have been even better if star fencer Maxine Esteban was part of the delegation.
The 23-year-old Esteban punched a ticket to the Summer Games after competing in the 2024 Absolute Fencing Gear FIE Foil Grand Prix in Washington, D.C. last week — the final Olympic qualifying tourney.
Although she finished tied at 88th, it didn’t impact her as she had already collected enough ranking points to make her first trip to the Summer Games.
However, Filipinos can no longer claim whatever success Esteban will achieve in the biggest sports conclave in the world. Politics and personal interests ruined everything, forcing Esteban to leave the country to chase her Olympic dream in the small African country of Ivory Coast.
Esteban used to be the toast of Philippine fencing. In 2022, she was the highest-ranked female foil fencer in the country and an eight-time national champion.
But after she suffered an injury while representing the country in a world championship in Cairo in 2022, the Philippine Fencing Association refused to reinstate her, prompting her to book a one-way ticket to Ivory Coast to realize her dream of competing in the Olympics.
Esteban’s case merits an investigation. If sports officials were doing their job of taking good care of the athletes, why then would a gem of a talent like Esteban opt to leave the country in a bid to vie in the Olympics?
Her decision to switch federations is not about money or better opportunities. It’s about principle, self-respect, and standing up for what she thinks is right.
Now, she is shining like a polished gem for Ivory Coast while Filipinos are still scrambling for an athlete who will carry the torch in the fencing competition at the Olympics.
It is sad to say that as long as local sports officials treat their federations as their kingdoms, more athletes like Esteban will leave for better treatment elsewhere. Soon, instead of developing heroes, Philippine sports will have an army of frustrated, tired, and demoralized athletes.
Whatever happens to Esteban’s Olympic journey no longer matters.
Most importantly, she is happy, satisfied, and beaming with confidence, grace, and beauty as she steps on the piste to represent the country that knows her real worth.
Justice has been served.
