The Philippine Fencing Association has congratulated former national player Maxine Esteban after she qualified for the Paris Olympics representing the African country of Ivory Coast, and wished the fencer good luck.
In a statement, however, the association tried to explain why the athlete had to pursue her Olympic dreams under a different flag following allegations that the PFA had engaged in favoritism with Esteban becoming a victim.
READ Fencer Maxine Esteban qualifies for Paris Olympics
"The PFA is compelled to set the record straight over the change in nationalities of Maxine Esteban due to lingering issues that have adversely affected the morale and cohesion of the Philippine national fencing team," it said in a statement released on Thursday.
Esteban, who competes in foil, left the country late last year and sought another citizenship following what she said was the unfair treatment she received from the association that had dropped her from its national pool while she recovered from an ACL injury sustained in competition.
Esteban said that not being able to compete because she was not a member of the fencing pool had deprived her the chance of joining several international events, including Olympic qualifying.
Esteban appeared to have thrived in her new home, doing well in the African championships and having her world ranking drastically improved on her way to gaining an Olympic berth.
Before she left, Esteban released a statement saying she was not able to get respect from the association despite her years as a national athlete,
On why she left, she said: "It's about giving ourselves enough respect to walk away from something that doesn't value our worth."
The now-Ivorian fencer claimed that she suffered an 'extremely hurtful, unfair, and disrespectful' treatment by the PFA after getting dropped from the national team roster while she was recovering from an ACL injury.
The PFA, on the other hand, said that while it appreciates the contribution of Esteban in the country's international campaigns, it assessed that some players were better than her in the context of achievements and skill.
One such player, according to the PFA, is Samantha Catantan, also competing in foil, who the association said 'produced better results' than Esteban in numerous international stints from 2017 to 2023.
According to the PFA statement, signed by its new president Rene Gacuma, "The results show Ms. Esteban's individual performance and medal haul are: one bronze medal against Catantan's two golds, one silver and two bronzes."
It also said that when the two players compete against each other, Catantan often prevailed over Esteban.
For this reason, the PFA said it chose Catantan to represent the country in the foil competition. Esteban could not be accomodated because under the rules of the international fencing federation (FIE) only one athlete per country can compete per category.
The PFF said it supported Esteban's decision to switch countries by waiving a three-year statutory ban so she could immediately compete for Ivory Coast and vie for an Olympic spot.
"Ms. Esteban accumulated more international ranking points by laudably using her private resources to compete in more overseas tournaments than what the PFA’s limited budget allowed – ranking points that were still insufficient for her to qualify through the more competitive Asian zone,” the PFA said.
"As her chances in Asia and the US are dim, switching nationalities to Ivory Coast was a clever move in attaining her Olympic dream."
Esteban will soon achieve her Olympic dream but how it will affect her loyalties is clear on her part. In a statement before joining the Ivory Coast team, she said:
"If through my efforts, God rewards me with success, know that whatever triumphs I gain is a triumph of the Philippines as it is of the Ivory Coast. Because no matter what stage I will compete in, be it a small tournament or -God willing - in the Olympics, the flag I represent only tells half the story.
"In my heart, I will always carry two inspirations: The land of my birth and the country I now call home," she said.
One interesting thing about Esteban's qualification is the possibility, though a small one, that she and Catantan may compete against each other in Paris since they belong to the same foil category.
In which case, Filipinos may have a difficult time determining who to root for.
See PFA letter in full:
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