Marcos cites Eala, Filipina booters as major Philippine sports boosters
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. voiced hope that the overflowing support for Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala would push more individuals to take up sports for their health.
During his State of the Nation Address Monday afternoon, Marcos underscored the importance of sports in the country, as he claimed that the government hiked support for sports.
“Mahalaga rin sa atin ang sports. Itinaas natin nang triple ang suporta natin dito. Hindi lamang dahil sa aliw na hatid nito, kundi para sa kalusugan,” he said.
“Sa nag-uumapaw nating suporta kay Alex Eala, sana ay marami ang ma-engganyo para matuto at maglaro hindi lamang ng tennis kundi ng iba pang sport,” he added.
Eala has been one of tennis’ fastest rising stars in the past year, with various historic runs both in Grand Slam and WTA tournaments.
She reached the fourth round of Wimbledon earlier this month.
After her Wimbledon run, the 21-year-old Filipina tennis star visited Marcos and Malacanang.
This week, the World No. 28 player is set to kick off her Mubadala DC Open stint against Zheng Qinwen.
Marcos, meanwhile, is also hoping that the Philippines could reach the FIFA World Cup someday.
“Sa halimbawa ng Filipinas women’s football team, sana rin ay mas sumikat pa ang football sa ating bansa at marami ang maglaro. Balang-araw, baka makasali na ang Pilipinas sa World Cup,” he said.
The Filipinas competed for the first time in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. There, Sarina Bolden led the Philippines to a historic win against home team New Zealand, 1-0.
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