EalaNation

She arrives like rain on parched land. She is a blessing for a people clinging to the last shreds of hope.

Alex Eala won the tough Washington DC tournament last Monday, rolling over an impressive list of champions. Because of the tyranny of time zones, many of her most avid admirers are sleep-deprived. But that is small inconvenience for the joy of reflecting on her brilliance. And sharing in her glory.

Eala has become a phenomenon in the sport she loves. She turned her weak serve into a potent weapon. She chases down balls like her life depended on it. Her focus is amazing. Her grit is beyond compare.

Everywhere she plays, Filipino crowds turn up to cheer her. She is adored like no other player in the sport.

Organizers of the Washington tournament say 80 percent of tickets sold were to Eala fans. Organizers of the Toronto tournament now under way had to move her matches to center court. The stadium has a capacity of 2,800. Eala fans had bought 5,000 tickets even before the tournament began.

The tickets for these tournaments are not cheap. Filipino migrants are giving up a lot to afford these tickets. They think nothing of what they had to give up for the chance to cheer the Filipina athlete. They turn up whatever the weather to wave the flag of a homeland that gave them little to be proud about.

The Alex Eala phenomenon is as much about her as it is about the Filipino diaspora. There is a specific sociology and political economy to the ardent crowds that turn up at the stands.

Wherever all the major tournaments are held, there is bound to be a significant Filipino community residing around the venue. These are communities as conscious of their roots as they are of the reasons they had to flee the homeland.

There is nothing to be proud about those reasons. The nation has failed their dreams. Government, which is supposed to protect its citizens, has become a hazard to them. Ours is a country that has been looted to death by an irresponsible political elite. A country where so many opportunities passed us by because we were led incompetently and robbed ruthlessly.

Even as Eala was winning her games on foreign courts, the news at home is drearier by the day. A sinister impeachment effort is underway. The economy is failing. The poor are poorer. Infra is crumbling. Our agriculture could not feed the nation. Those who lead us are distrusted by most.

It is as if the whole nation is failing.

Natural calamities loom as we await a “super” El Niño and expect it to bring even more extreme weather events. Our dams are running dry. The water is in our streets. Government neglect has gone from bad to worse.

To top it all, we had to listen to a State of the Nation Address last week that showed no coherent path to redemption. The solutions offered were grossly understudied. The small numbers were magnified while the big numbers were ignored. It was a speech meant to lull a disillusioned nation.

The speech did have its moment of unintended comic relief. The President announced we are joining the space race by building a launchpad in Cagayan. Those wading in the flood could only laugh.

Those of a certain age recall that time when Marcos Sr. announced our entry into the world of rocketry. Two rockets – named Bongbong I and Bongbong II – were launched. Both failed. This had to be prophesy.

Our space program since then went into deep hibernation.

Against this backdrop, Eala’s achievement in a sport few Filipino play is such brilliant counterpoint. It is an achievement based entirely on competence supplemented by indomitable will. It is an achievement laced by so much grace and enlightened by so much love of country. She is eloquent as she is superb.

Eala assures us we are not a nation of losers. We can win if we dare to try.

We can even triumph as a people if we are not pulled down by our politicians and betrayed by our own government. We can triumph if we think our way through rather than waste our energies in fruitless infighting. We will win if we put in the hard work needed.

Eala did not get to where she is now without the hard work. She trains everyday. She studies her weak points and strives to be better. She disciplined her mind so that she can lock in on the game. She closely observes her opponent’s game and attacks their weak points.

If only we, as a nation, can be as disciplined. We were not. That is why there is a Filipino diaspora.

There is no such thing as an Indonesian diaspora or a Thai diaspora. We inherited the same post-colonial realities. But they worked hard on becoming better nations. We spent the time tolerating failed regimes.

Many of those who turn up for Eala’s games are not tennis players themselves. They turn up to watch a Filipina win. They are there to reflect the glory that is so rare in our history.

There are large Filipino communities abroad because our nation failed to give them their chance for achievement. They willingly give up lunch to afford the tickets to be part of shared greatness.