Looking forward

Last of two parts

From Paris to Takasaki in Japan all the way to Ostrava in the Czech Republic, Filipino athletes faced world-class opposition and kept their heads held high in the year that’s about to end.

The onslaught of the dreaded COVID-19 continued on a global scale. But this did not stop the likes of Alex Eala, Caloy Yulo, Eumir Marcial and EJ Obiena from giving their countrymen reasons to cheer.

The rescheduled Tokyo Olympics seems to be a go, and in seven months, the Philippines brings its best chance to win the elusive gold to the Japanese capital – with or without the vaccine.

The Philippine Star rounds out the biggest news delivered by Pinoy athletes in 2020.

5. An ace for Alex

And then, a Filipina tennis star is born.

Under the guidance of no less than Spanish legend Rafael Nadal, Alex Eala made a name for herself in a pandemic year and made sure the Philippines kept its spot in the exciting world of professional tennis.

The 15-year-old ace started 2020 in high gear as she teamed up with Indonesian pal Priska Madelyn Nugroho to win the prestigious Australian Open girls’ doubles title last February in Melbourne.

It was the first juniors Grand Slam title in Eala’s blossoming career and only the second for the Philippines after Francis Casey Alcantara captured the Australian Open boys’ doubles crown with partner Hsieh Cheng-Peng of Chinese Taipei in 2009.

From 13th spot in the ITF world junior rankings in 2019, Eala zoomed to fourth after the historic feat that also paved the way for her debut in the professional tennis ranks like the ITF Women’s Future in Tunisia and the W15 Castellon Pro Tournament in Spain.

Eala kept going, and in the last quarter of the year carved out a remarkable semifinal finish in the French Open girls’ singles.

Her dazzling Roland Garros run propelled her to second in the world only behind French Elsa Jacquemot, who booted her out in the semis and went on to win the crown in Paris.

“I am so proud to be a Filipino. I hope that people see this as a big triumph and a big step for tennis in the Philippines,” said Eala on the official ITF website.

“Vamos! Very happy for Alex and keep up the hard work and great results,” said Nadal, a 20-time Grand Slam champion.

Eala is just getting started.

6. Gilas young guns

A new-look Gilas Pilipinas – one infused with young blood – carried the fight for the country and gave a good account of itself in international sorties during the pandemic.

With a program geared toward the country’s hosting of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) formed a pool of cadets for the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.

For the first window last February, five of the young guns teamed up with seven PBA stalwarts and romped off with a rout of Indonesia on the road. That Group A match in Jakarta served as the showcase for former Ateneo star and future Japan B. League import Thirdy Ravena.

Due to COVID-19, Gilas went on a long break until FIBA Asia staged the next window in a bubble set-up in Manama, Bahrain in November.

The top pros were in the middle of the PBA Philippine Cup in Clark, and the young guns willingly took the challenge.

Despite limited time to train, coach Jong Uichico’s youth brigade swept its two assignments against Thailand. With a perfect 3-0 card, Gilas took pole position with six points after the first two qualification windows, ahead of South Korea (2-0 and four points).

The third and last window is set in February 2021 in a bubble in Clark, where two games against long-time tormentor South Korea headline the schedule. Gilas faces Indonesia once. PBA commissioner Willie Marcial has assured the SBP of the league’s full support.

Gilas is expected to hire a few big guns from the PBA as it tries to snap a five-game losing streak to the Koreans dating back to 2014 and try to hurdle the Rajko Toroman-mentored and Lester Prosper-bannered Indonesians.

The Filipinos need to finish in the Top 2 of the group to advance to the Asia Cup tourney slated Aug. 16-28 next year in Indonesia.

It’s something to look forward to.

7. Long road to Tokyo

Tokyo-bound Filipino athletes and those still chasing Olympic berths are soldiering on.

Programmed to reach peak form in mid-2020, the Pinoy bets were not spared by the pandemic and looked for ways to continue their buildup for the Olympiad reset to July next year.

After the doors reopened, the Filipinos gamely plunged back into action and won medals along the way.

World champion gymnast Caloy Yulo, 20, who’s been in Japan training under rated coach Munehiro Kugiyama, landed podium finishes at the All-Japan Championships (bronze in floor exercise and vault) and All-Japan Seniors Meet (bronze in vault) in Takasaki. By yearend, Yulo rose to No. 1 in the world rankings in his pet event, the floor exercise, with 70 points.

Pole vault ace EJ Obiena stayed in form in Formia, Italy, where he’s under the tutelage of Vitali Petrov. Obiena, 24, triumphed at the 59th Ostrava Golden Spike Tournament in the Czech Republic, where he bested a star-studded field led by reigning Olympic champ and training partner Thiago Braz of Brazil, and collared two silvers and three bronzes in other competitions.

Boxing standout Eumir Marcial, after punching an Olympic ticket with a victory at the Asia Oceania Olympic Qualifiers in Jordan last March, turned pro and signed up with Sen. Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions. He left for the US to train under Freddie Roach last October and debuted two months later, scoring a unanimous decision over American Andrew Whitfield in a four-rounder in Los Angeles.

Grieving over the sudden death of an elder brother last October, Marcial said winning the gold in Tokyo remains his top priority.

Marcial’s fellow boxer, Irish Magno, however, had to make do with online training with the national team coaches as she’s stuck at home the whole time. The Iloilo-based Magno is set to resume her actual buildup when the IATF-approved bubble training camp is put in place at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.

Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz, a cinch to earn her fourth Olympic stint when weightlifting’s qualification process resumes, spent the entire year in Malaysia with her training team. Diaz, the gold medalist in the Roma World Championships back in January, showed her top form in winning the Eleijka Email International Lifters online competition with 95kg (snatch), 121 (clean and jerk) and 216 total lift.

Lady golfers Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan placed themselves in prime position to qualify for Tokyo with outstanding performances abroad.

Saso sits at No. 25 in the Olympic rankings, gaining from her stellar rookie stint at the Japan LPGA where she logged two huge victories. Pagdanganan ranks 41st, building momentum from her third-place finish at the LPGA Drive On Championship and No. 9 standing at the Women’s PGA Championship.

Only the top 60 golfers will earn tickets to Tokyo.

8. Oj’s golden haul

James “OJ” delos Santos took the online karate world by storm as he harvested 36 gold medals and zoomed to world No. 1 in the male e-kata individual seniors division, which he achieved this year.

The 30-year-old Delos Santos’ three most recent triumphs came in the Katana Inter-Continental League 5-Super Final, Golden League Karate E-Tournament and E-Karate Games Grand Winner.

Along the way, the two-time Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist emerged grand winner in three multiple-legged tournaments, the most recent one in the Athlete’s E-Tournament.

He also owned the distinction of posting the highest score in world online kata by registering  26.1 points in the Katana Inter-Continental Karate League e-Tournament on Oct. 26.

9. Severino shines

FIDE Master Sander Severino showed the world that Filipinos can truly excel in chess as he topped the online World Championship for people with physical disabilities on June 17 this year.

The 34-year-old Severino, who was diagnosed with muscle dystrophy at a very young age, blew away a field that included several former world champions by scoring a whopping 8.5 points out of the possible nine.

He was also co-champion in another world online tilt a few months before and played top board for an all-differently abled squad that had its own team in the FIDE Online Chess Olympiad.

Severino became only the second Filipino world champion in the sport after Grandmaster Mark Paragua, who won a world crown in kiddies blitz 22 years ago.

Philippine-born Wesley So also emerged world champion in Fischer Random last year while representing the United States.

10. Bambol keeps post

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino won a fresh four-year term in an election held at the East Ocean Palace in Pasay City last Nov. 27.

The Tagaytay City congressman and PhilCycling chief defeated archery head Clint Aranas, 30-22.

Tolentino’s party won eight of the 10 seats available – basketball’s Al Panlilio as first vice president, modern pentathlon and fencing’s Richard Gomez as second VP, baseball’s Chito Loyzaga as auditor, gymnastics’ Cynthia Carrion-Norton as treasurer, and muay’s Pearl Managuelod, surfing’s Dr. Raul Canlas and judo’s Dave Carter as board members.

Handball’s Steve Hontiveros (chairman) and netball’s Charlie Ho (board member) were the only candidates from Aranas’ ticket who won seats.

It was fitting ending to what had been a tumultuous series of events leading to the elections as Tolentino and several of his ticketmates won the disqualification case filed by the Aranas group.

For the POC, it’s time to work.