COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 14 May) — The Bangsamoro Sports Commission (BSC) congratulated Fatima Ayesha Amirul for her crucial role in the Philippines’ soft tennis team that bagged the gold medal in the ongoing 32nd South East Asian (SEA) Games in Cambodia.
The BSC commended Amirul, who hails from Bongao in Tawi-Tawi, for her hard work, dedication, and perseverance that paid off with her exceptional athletic abilities and her spirit of teamwork, sportsmanship, and national pride.
The country’s soft tennis team is composed of Amirul, Cristy Sañosa, Noelle Conchita Mañalac, Noelle Nikki Zoleta, Princess Lorben Catindig and Virvienica Isearis Bejosano.
The women’s squad swept Indonesia in the final, 5-4, 4-2, 5-0, to give the Philippines its 25th gold medal in the biennial sports event.
In a post on its Facebook page on Wednesday, the Tawi-Tawi provincial government said the victory brought “pride and honor to our province and the entire nation.”
The BSC noted that Amirul’s victory is a testament to the Philippines’ commitment to sports excellence and lauded her for her contribution to the sport of soft tennis.
“Your hard work, dedication, and perseverance have paid off, and we are all incredibly proud of you! Your victory is not only a testament to your exceptional athletic abilities but also to your spirit of teamwork, sportsmanship, and national pride,” BSC’s Facebook post reads.
The triumph of the Philippine Soft Tennis Team for which Amirul played with exceptional skills in that sports event is a milestone for the Philippines at the SEA Games, where over 12,000 participants from 11 countries compete in more than three dozen sports disciplines from May 5 to 17.
The 32nd SEA Games is held for the first time in Cambodia. Its original schedule was supposed to be in 2020 but was reset due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The BSC said Amirul and her team’s victory is a source of pride for the Bangsamoro people and the entire Philippines, inspiring future generations of athletes to strive for excellence and bring honor to the country.
The BSC expressed its gratitude to Amirul and all the Philippine athletes who competed in the 32nd SEA Games, hoping that their success would inspire more support and investment into the country’s sports industry.
“You have brought honor and glory to our country, and we are grateful for your contributions to the sport of soft tennis […] keep up the good work, and may the future endeavors be just as successful and fulfilling,” the BSC further said.
Amirul expressed her gratitude on her Facebook account, stating that their months of preparation for the SEA Games had finally paid off with a gold medal and a historic achievement.
“After months of preparing for SEA games, we reached our goal of getting the gold medal and making history. It feels surreal, a dream come true. I’m still on cloud nine. This is an unforgettable experience and a significant milestone in my life,” Amirul said.
“I would like to thank everyone for their endless support. It all means a lot to me, reading your comments and messages encouraged me to keep going when I felt down,” she added. (Nash B. Maulana / MindaNews contributor)
