By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Filipina fencer Maxine Esteban stood tall among the world’s best and was able to grab the silver medal during the 2021 International Fencing Federation FIE Tournoi Satellite in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The 30th Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist put up a valiant fight against Marta Cammilletti in the grand finals but fell short at the end of the duel.
Seeded at no. 2 during the main draw, the Filipina showed why she was deserving of that spot after sweeping her way in the eliminations with a stellar 5-0 record.
Esteban was then awarded a ‘bye’ thanks to her flawless start to qualify in the final top eight of the tournament.
“This is my best result so far. I made history! Really happy and proud to see the Philippine flag on the podium in the world stage,” Esteban told Spin.ph.
It was a tough road going into the grand finals after the lone Filipina went against veterans Komila Mirzaeva and Umida Ilyosova in the playoff rounds.
“I am happy to be able to fence in the international stage again, I am proud of the results. Losing in the final round also really motivated me to train harder,” Esteban added.
With the huge second-place finish, Esteban’s world ranking is expected to receive a boost, while cementing her spot as the top fencer in the Philippines.
