Filipina-Ivorian fencer Maxine Esteban and Capital1 owner Milka Romero gives shoes and gear to the members of the Olongapo team that will see action in the 2024 Batang Pinoy in Palawan. Handout photoMANILA -- Fencer Maxine Esteban, who represented the Ivory Coast in the Paris Olympics earlier this year, gave running shoes to student-athletes from Olongapo ahead of the 2024 Batang Pinoy.
Esteban teamed up with Milka Romero, the co-owner of PVL team Capital1, in giving away 83 pairs of shoes from Anta Philippines to the Olongapo Junior Trackers who will compete in Puerto Princesa City this week.
"It's really my advocacy kasi kahit naman di ako pinalad na marepresent yung Pilipinas sa Olympics, ipinangako ko talaga sa sarili ko na I want to be relevant in Philippine sports and really to help athletes here in the Philippines," said Esteban, a naturalized Ivorian.
She competed in the women's individual foil event in the Summer Games, losing to home bet Pauline Ranvier in the table of 32.
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The turnover ceremony was conducted on Saturday, with the student-athletes from Olongapo accompanied by their head coach Samuel Bada and Olongapo City Sports and Youth Development head David Bayarong.
"Nagpapasalamat po tayo. Malaking malaking tulong ito sa mga kabataan natin lalo na't ang mga kabataan natin some of them don't really have the means para makakuha ng shoes," said Bayarong.
"But apart from the things na binigay nila ma'am Maxine and ma'am Milka, it's also the moral support na nakukuha ng mga bata na 'uy once in their life pala they are also in my shoes'. So nakikita ng mga bata na in the future, as long as I be good in what I do now, pwede rin pala akong maging si Ms. Maxine and Ms. Milka," he added.
Meanwhile, Romero expressed her pride in her partnership with Esteban.
"Kaming dalawa magkasing age more or less kami and bilang women in sports, at a young age parang nakita ko na she's willing to help and ako rin as someone running in congress so sabi ko we should do more things together as women in sports, women athletes," said Romero, who is the first nominee of 1Pacman Partylist for the 2025 polls.
"I think what pushes us forward as an athlete is that there's someone that believes in us. Isang fan, ‘yung parents, yung coaches natin. Definitely, children are being developed through sports and we are only there to guide them and keep that dream," she also said.