By Gabby Alvarado
IT'S the kind of July weather that can drive a Hong Kong visitor to tears and want to rip up his holiday itinerary, with bursts of glorious sunshine broken repeatedly by heavy showers that stop as abruptly as they had come.
But Bong Battad doesn't mind.
He has lived in the city long enough to understand the changing summer weather.
And he's just thankful for days like this when he can spend time on a public tennis court after the coronavirus pandemic had shuttered gyms and government-run sports facilities for more than two months.
Battad, 56, has invested in a farm back home and saved some retirement money from his earnings as a tennis instructor here.
But there are bills to pay on top of his daily expenses with a grown-up daughter and two sons helping him run his tennis clinics. Before the Covid-19 shutdown, Battad used to spend an average of eight hours a day on the public courts in Wong Nai Chung helping promising youngsters improve their game.

Fortunately, a few tennis courts in private residences remained open at the height of the initial wave of the pandemic. That allowed the former Davis Cup player to have three-hour lessons almost daily with restless kids left bored by the suspension of classes and restrictions on social life.
"Malaking bagsak," Battad says of the income lost from the shutdown. "At least suwerte pa rin ako at ilang tennis coaches. Yung sa ibang sport, hindi talaga sila makapagturo."
And there's this generous parent who deposited money in his bank account even if his teenage daughter no longer trains regularly with Battad. Never mind, the man told him, he can consider the money as advanced payment for future sessions.
Goodwill such as this isn't for everyone. Unless you have established yourself as a capable coach worthy of the parents' trust. Just like Battad.
Battad was born to a tennis-playing family from Cotabato who moved north when his father, Fortunato Sr, took over as president of the Pampanga Agricultural College at the foot of Mt Arayat. Eldest brother Fortunato Jr now runs his own tennis academy in Texas while another brother, Zosimo, is currently the Chancellor of the University of the East Caloocan.
Battad arrived in Hong Kong in 1991 to take on the job of a coaching assistant, after his days as a national player were over. He had no difficulty blending in. A former Southeast Asian Games silver medallist, Battad's game and international experience came in handy amid competition from fellow coaches from Australia, Europe and the US. He surprised many who initially thought Filipino males here are either drivers or musicians.
His profile got a big boost when he was selected to be a hitting partner for a 16-year-old Maria Sharapova when the Russian glamour girl was in Hong Kong for an annual invitational tournament featuring WTA stars.
Battad doesn't remember now how he got the gig, but looks at the exposure as one of the good breaks to fall kindly on his lap during his three-decade stay here.
There's pride and satisfaction as Battad reflects on the modest life he's had in the city and the many Hong Kong standouts he has had a hand in developing.
One former pupil is Hong Kong-born British player Tara Moore, once ranked as high as No 145 in the world. Venise Chan Wing-yau, who rose to become Hong Kong No 1, also trained with Battad when she was younger.

His good fortune here, where he also met his wife Rhoda, has enabled Battad to give something back home through the Tennis on Wheels project started by New York-based Rod Rafael, a former Davis Cup teammate. It's an annual homecoming-reunion among veteran internationalists. They pool their resources together to donate tennis equipment and conduct clinics in remote areas in Bicol, Visayas and Mindanao. The pandemic forced Tennis on Wheels off the road this year.
Time flies fast. Now Battad is starting to slow down and prepare to hand over the business to daughter Charity, 26, and sons Louie, 22, and Dominik, 21.
"Work first, teach the kids how to play," Battad likes telling them.
"Don't think about the money. Darating na lang yun pag maganda ang trabaho mo."
On this July afternoon in Wong Nai Chung, in between sunshine and rain, Charity and Dominik work with a group of kids on tennis basics.
In an adjacent court, Battad warms up two young girls, both former pupils, for matches in a tournament in which they will be going up against older opponents. He gives them tips on how the breeze is likely to affect their game; there are also reminders for them to turn their bodies properly to generate power and velocity in their groundstrokes.
Once that is over, Battad takes a cab to Mid-Levels for an hour of private lesson with two pupils. The pair had barely started hitting out with Battad when a downpour sends them running for cover. The kids decide to call it a day and head home with their Filipina carer.
Not Battad, though. He says he's going to wait out the rain. He is booked for another session on the same court in the next hour, and he can't miss it. His pupil is an 11-year-old. That kid, Battad says, just loves playing. Rain or shine.
(NOTE: On July 13, gyms and sports facilities were ordered closed again, for seven days, because of the spike in virus infections)
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