Zethley Mae Alferez of USC chases the ball for a return in the Cesafi women’s singles lawn tennis action at the Pardo Tennis Club, Cebu City. | Photo courtesy of Zethley Mae Alferez
CEBU CITY, Philippines—Zethley Mae Alferez waited two long years to get back into action in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc.’s (Cesafi) lawn tennis event.
In her return, she made sure to make the most out if it.
The 21-year-old multi-titled netter of the University of San Carlos (USC) emerged champion in the women’s singles competition of lawn tennis held on Monday, April 25, 2022, at the Pardo Tennis Club here.
Alferez beat Edel Parangan of the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R), 8-2, in their finals match to bag the women’s sngles tennis title.
According to Alferez, who is also a former Palarong Pambansa gold medalist and a three-time Cesafi women’s champion, she feels elated to return to action in the Cesafi after her long break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Knowing that Cesafi is finally back for us student-athletes after two years of taking a break due to the pandemic really boosts up my excitement and ignites the competitiveness in me and I would say that this would not only be true to me but also to other student-athletes as well,” said Alferez, who revealed that she is very fortunate not to get cut from USC’s varsity team.
Taste of victory
Alferez revealed that many student-athletes, not just in USC, but in other schools, have been cut from their varsity benefits due to the financial impact of the pandemic.
“Ever since the pandemic started, there were universities/schools that have dropped out student-athletes due to the effects of the pandemic and I would say that I was lucky and blessed enough that the University of San Carlos did not let us go and that they continued to support us in however they can even though there were no assurance whether when a competition like Cesafi would come,” said Alferez, a fourth-year Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in USC.
“For me, to have won the Cesafi in lawn tennis after two years feels incredibly amazing since I have not felt that taste of victory for quite a long time and I really do hope that competitions such as this would continue so that the universities/schools would bring back the opportunities for student-athletes.”
The men’s champion was fellow Carolinian Francis Lambayan, who beat Greek Apduhan of the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers, 8-2.
According to tournament director Fritz Tabura, Cesafi’s lawn tennis event only featured fewer matches than usual since many of the athletes are still recuperating from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Nonetheless, the tournament capped off successfully with the regular season eyeing to return in September with the full participation of the Cesafi member schools.
/bmjo
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