Maxine Esteban: The one that got away (again)

It could have been seven at this point, or maybe eight, a dozen, or more — the numbers never ending like a pile of logs thrown into a pit of fire. The country, longing for the repeat of divine glory at the quadrennial Summer Games, has six Filipinos that are bound for Paris just four months before the majestic Eiffel Tower lights up for an extravagant display of sportsmanship, camaraderie, and, above all, athletic excellence.

Maxine Esteban, the persistent fencer that she is, made a giant stride toward her ultimate goal that is to qualify for the Paris Games.

She could have been our No. 7, a historic one on that note. Sadly, she won't be wearing our tri-colors.

EJ Obiena of pole vault became the first Filipino qualifier in July 2023 after clearing the Olympic standard of 5.92 meters in Sweden. Then joining the flight were boxers Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio, and Aira Villegas. Gymnast Carlos Yulo is also up for redemption after a disappointing finish in the Tokyo edition along with first-timer Aleah Finnegan.

These fantastic six pose as big medal prospects in their respective events, all hoping to duplicate or even surpass the smashing one-gold, twosilver, and one-bronze haul in the Japanese capital three years ago.

Yet, Esteban, the perfect mold of brain and brawn having earned a degree in applied arts and sciences at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania with a distinction of summa cum laude, could only afford to switch nationalities to make her Olympic dream achievable.

Esteban now represents Ivory Coast, thousands of miles away from her own home.

She is the country's best foil fencer, but the 23-year-old slipped out of our prized possessions due to an internal problem that only those with true knowledge can indulge in. Now ranked 38th in the world, Esteban could have been our first pure-blooded Filipino fencer to land a spot at the Olympics. But she ran out of options, worked her way through the ranks in the African region, and earned enough points to book her ticket to Paris. It could have been a happy story for all of us — Esteban, the wonder girl with the wit tapered like her sword, donning our flag in the most precious moment ever.

Instead, she will have the orange, white and green ensemble on her chest come the Paris Games.

Esteban is another casualty to the perennial problems that have been hounding Filipino competitors. From the scarcity of funding or resources, the ugly trait of mudslinging, and the trail of politics, these factors greatly affect the physical and mental state of athletes, and affect their overall performance in local and international tournaments.

Esteban, the perfect mold of brain and brawn having earned a degree in applied arts and sciences at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania with a distinction of summa cum laude, could only afford to switch nationalities to make her Olympic dream achievable.

Two prominent names were victims of the past: Wesley So and Yuka Saso. So switched allegiance to the US after a squabble with the local federation, while Saso chose Japanese citizenship to build herself a better future.

Obiena was also on the receiving end of such trouble a few years back, but he chose his Filipino roots over fame.

While we eagerly await the performance of our athletes when the Olympics comes to life, we could only be mesmerized by Esteban and her story of courage. She left home, pursued an unknown path in distant shores, and ascended to glory that only a few could step in.

Watching her would be painful, but we should be proud of her tenacity. She is Filipino at heart.

Back home, we could only hope that Esteban's unfortunate tale will ignite change and produce reforms from our sports leaders.