BIEN Zoleta believes the Philippine women’s soft tennis team’s historic Asian Games bronze medal is a victory shared by the entire country.
The Filipinas officially secured the first-ever Asian Games medal in Philippine soft tennis after falling 2-0 to host Japan in the semifinals.
Zoleta said the breakthrough carries a deeper meaning for the national team, especially after years of hard work and preparation.
“Napakasayang feeling ’to. Kasi hindi lang siya, sabi n’yo nga po, hindi lang siya para sa amin. But para sa Pilipinas siya. Lalo na kami pala ’yung unang nagbigay ng medalya,” said Zoleta.
The four-time SEA Games gold medalist also hopes their historic achievement can give the rest of Team Philippines an added boost as more athletes take the stage in Aichi-Nagoya.
“Sana makapagbigay ito ng mas malaking morale para sa susunod pang national athlete na maglalaro today, tomorrow, and the next coming days,” she added
Zoleta emphasized that reaching the podium at the Asian Games is a major milestone for soft tennis athletes.
“Kasi alam n’yo kung gaano namin pinaghirapan ito na manalo. Lalo na Asian Games ito. Para sa amin sa soft tennis, ito ang Olympics namin. So, maka-medalya dito is napakalaking bagay para sa amin,” said Zoleta.
The Philippines reached the semifinals after beating Mongolia and Thailand in the group stage, ending its long wait for an Asian Games medal in the sport. (Jesus Nathaniel Valdez)
