LIVING THE DREAM

Balancing two passions is no easy job.

But Uratex managing director Peachy Medina is making it look simple.

The 55-year-old Medina, the lady behind the involvement of the country’s largest foam producer, said she’s having fun while juggling her roles as tournament director of Manila Hustle 3x3 tournament and corporate executive.

She said she’s living the dream as she treats her corporate role as her “day job” while running the operations of the fast-emerging women’s basketball tournament.

“(My Uratex job) It’s really like a full-time job. So, it’s like my day job. That’s what I always say; it’s my day job and then I have a night job in basketball,” said Medina, who played basketball, football and track and field for Ateneo de Manila University, where she also graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Management Engineering degree in 1989.

“It’s tiring as it takes a lot of time — but it’s fun.”

Empowering women

Aside from her duties at Uratex and Manila Hustle 3x3, where Filipina cagers battled those from Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand, Medina is also managing the Uratex Dream — a 3x3 squad that competed in the Women’s Basketball League and the inaugural Women’s Philippine Basketball Association.

Medina said she’s batting for women empowerment and she wants Filipina basketball players to get exposed to quality competitions after competing for their respective schools in the collegiate ranks.

“When you graduate, you’re 22 or 23 years old. One athlete will peak at 30 to 32 years old. So from 22 to 32, there’s no opportunity to play. The players will stop playing. It’s a waste,” Medina said

“So that’s our place as a professional 3x3 team — to provide an opportunity to play after college.”

With Medina at the helm, the staging of the Manila Hustle 3x3 last February at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall was a success. Japanese team Zoos Tokyo ruled the event after beating local club, Titans, 21-13 in the championship match.

She said the success would not be possible without the collaboration and support from Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.

Aside from technical support, In Season 1, then-E.D. Sonny Barrios threw in his support and attended the press conference, elevating the start-up obscure tournament into a noteworthy one. Dy did the same for Season 2.

“I’ve known E.D. Erika from way back, ever since she was heavily recruited by Ateneo. The University Athletic Director at that time, Mr. Jun Capistrano, presented the revitalized program for women’s basketball. It was at that time that I started to become a donor to the Ateneo team,” Medina said, referring to Dy, who rose from being the Blue Eagles’ top lady cager to becoming head coach, assistant athletic director and ranking executive of the country’s basketball federation.

“So we have that history with Erika. It’s good because she’s a woman and a former player, a former coach and now she’s the executive director of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.”

“Of course, you have to run the tournament at a very world-class level. I’m happy to say that they’re (the foreign teams) happy. Add to that, the Philippine brand of hospitality, and then the Philippine brand of basketball, and our fans. When you see the posts of international players, they really love the basketball fans in the Philippines.”

Helping sports

But Uratex’s generosity isn’t just limited to basketball.

Medina, whose husband, Dindo, was a former volleyball player also at Ateneo, added that Uratex took the opportunity to help women’s volleyball star Alyssa Valdez.

“Alyssa Valdez is our hero at Ateneo, right? So when she approached us for her grassroots program, even though we’re not heavy on sports marketing, we supported her,” Medina said.

“Alyssa recently won Reader’s Digest Most Trusted Sportsperson. Trustworthiness is something we really value at Uratex. It is clear that there is a match between Alyssa and our brand.”

She added that companies should invest in emerging sports especially women’s sports, such as basketball and football due to its untapped potential and faithful fanbase.

“So the market for emerging sports is small, so the cost of supporting is not that expensive yet. You will find that it pays back quickly. The growth rate is very high and it has been researched that the fans’ devotion to women’s sports is deeper than mainstream sports. For me, it’s the right time to invest in women’s sports,” Medina said, admitting that the process isn’t easy but her passion and knowledge in sports carry her through.

“Here in our company, there are many casual fans, but they are not avid fans like me. So sports is just beginning to enter their realm of awareness,” Medina said.

“They realize and appreciate that when they read the news, etc. Their appreciation for sports deepens. With that, they’re now exploring any opportunities to help out.”

Medina advises companies to be open to collaboration to see success in supporting sports.

“For a sport to go from emerging to mainstream, everybody really has to contribute. Everybody has to improve and contribute,” Medina said.

“Like me, as a team owner and tournament organizer, I will really do my best in that regard. We hope there will soon be more teams and leagues, so there will be more participants in lesser-known sports.”