The Philippine national women’s football team delivered a historic performance in the FIFA Women’s World Cup while Ernest John Obiena became the first Filipino to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics to emerge as the toast of Philippine sports in the month of July.
Known as the Filipinas, the game and gutsy bunch of Filipino-foreign booters made history by scoring an epic victory over one of the top contenders of the prestigious 32-nation tournament.
After suffering a heartbreaking 2-0 defeat at the hands of world No. 20 Switzerland in their debut at the Dunedin Stadium on 21 July, the world No. 46 Filipinas pulled off a 1-0 victory over No. 26 and tournament co-host New Zealand four days later in Wellington.
The breakthrough goal courtesy of forward California-born Sarina Bolden came in the 24th minute off a header that Kiwi goalie Victoria Esson was unable to deflect.
It was a goal heard around the world as the Philippines, not exactly a football-crazy country, finally served notice of its bold bid.
While the celebration lasted just for a few days, the Filipinas carved their name in the history books with their gallant stand in Group A following a 6-0 shutdown they suffered from former champion and world No. 12 Norway at Eden Park in Auckland.
Still, the Fiipinas made a lot of heads turn following their stint that they topped the Philippine Sportswriters Association list of achievers for the month of July.
Coming in a close second was Italy-based Obiena, who did 5.82 meters during the Diamond League-Bauhaus Galan in Sweden on 3 July to secure a berth to the Summer Games.
About two weeks later, Obiena would bring his act to Thailand for the Asian championships, a meet he dominated by posting a new continental mark of 5.91 meters.
For Obiena, the Asian event was just a warmup.
Obiena, 27, would stamp his class anew a week later, placing second in the Monaco leg of the Diamond League in Monte Carlo.
He did 5.82 meters again, behind first-place Christopher Nilsen of the United States, who won the gold with a 5.92. Interestingly, world champion and record-holder Armand Duplantis was off as he finished fourth overall.
Filipino athletes also did as well in other parts of the world.
The Filipino duo of Johann Chua and James Aranas defeated Joshua Filler and Moritz Neuhausen of Germany, 11-7, to win the World Cup of Pool 9-Ball Championship. The victory was a record fourth time for the country to rule one of the prestigious events in billiards.
Over in Bangkok, Thailand, the Philippine bowling team won two golds in the 21st Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championships courtesy of Art Barrientos in the boys’ masters and the boys’ team of four composed of Barrientos, Zach Sales Ramin, Stephen Luke Diwa and Marc Dylan Custodio. The Filipinos ended up as the overall champion in the boys division.
Team Manila wouldn’t be left behind as it regained the Pony International World Series crown by completing an eight-game sweep of the 18-Under girls’ tournament at the McAllen Softball Complex in Texas.
