FROM one champion to another, pole vault ace EJ Obiena is throwing his all-out support to tennister Alexandra “Alex” Eala amid criticisms from fellow Filipinos on her current slump in the world pro circuit.
Mr. Obiena said athletes are only humans and not “gods,” urging the entire nation to rally behind their ardent athletes in “good days and bad days” especially away from their families in flying the flag high abroad.
“We are human. Athletes may sometimes be treated like gods. But we are not. We have good days and bad days, just like everyone else. One result cannot define a person,” said Mr. Obiena, the world No. 10, who had his own struggle before coming back to fine form in a banner year.
“Support matters. If you want to help Alex, me, or any athlete, pick us up when we are down. Harsh comments are not the support that helps us return stronger.”
Mr. Obiena, an Olympian, is coming off a triumphant defense of his crown in the 20th Asian Games (Asiad) in Japan marked by a new continental record.
Ms. Eala, on the other hand, missed her best shot at gold as the No. 1 seed with a semifinal upset to No. 81 Xiyu Wang of China. It’s the second straight bronze medal for Ms. Eala after debuting in Hangzhou.
But that does not mean he’s to leave his compatriot hanging in the air from unfair bashing and criticisms, especially with Ms. Eala also absorbing a string of stunners in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour. Not to mention Ms. Eala, only a young gun at 21 years of age, is also at the mercy of hatred and judgment.
Aside from the Asiad, Ms. Eala, as the No. 3 seed, bowed to No. 120 Tatiana Prozorova of Russia in the WTA 500 Singapore Open Round of 16 then folded in the first round of the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open as the No. 13 seed against No. 177 Han Shi of China.
That rare slump for the lefty Pinay pride dragged her to No. 20 in the latest WTA rankings on Monday, down two spots from a career-best of No. 18 for also the highest ranking ever for a Southeast Asian player.
That’s only one of the long list of milestones etched by Ms. Eala for Philippine tennis, only for some fellows to pull her down with just a few stumbles.
Gone were the cheers and smiles and “Pinoy pride” chants from her magical run in the Wimbledon and US Open as well as her breakthrough title in Washington as the first Filipino — man or woman — to hoist a WTA Tour title.
For the 30-year-old Mr. Obiena who has won and lost it all, that should never be the case for any athlete, emphasizing the need for people to appreciate and respect the sacrifice and countless of hours poured by Filipinos here and abroad just to represent the country well, come hell or high water — more than just the victory and glory for convenience.
“Failure is not synonymous with losing. Even the greats lose. A bad competition, a losing streak, even a difficult season: sooner or later every athlete faces them. Perfection can be the objective, but nobody wins everything,” he stressed, rallying behind Ms. Eala who’s to shoot for redemption in the WTA 500 Ningbon Open against No. 34 Diane Parry of France.
“So asking if Alex’s string of losses suggests she has failed is the wrong question (or for any national athlete for that matter, yours truly included). There is no such thing as failure in attempting, and in sports, there are good days and bad days, and some days you win and some days you lose, which is what gives sport its beauty and toughness.”
Aside from Ms. Eala, Mr. Obiena’s open letter is dedicated to the Filipino para athletes vying in the Asian Para Games in Nagoya this week. — John Bryan Ulanday