(CNN Philippines, September 27) — Filipino fencer Maxine Esteban nabbed silver in the women’s individual foil event of the FIE Senior Satellite World Cup held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan over the weekend.
The runner-up finish will boost Esteban’s world ranking.
Esteban, the UAAP Season 81 Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player, said she’s glad to be back in action following a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. She added that this recent stint will only fuel her to improve her craft and be a better athlete.
“This is the first international competition I had in two years, because of the pandemic. I am happy that I am able to fence in the international scene again. I am happy with the results but Iosing in the final round also really motivated me to train harder. I know I have a long way to go,” she told CNN Philippines.
The next few months will be tight for Esteban as she’s planning to compete in a number of competitions around Europe.
“There are many competitions lined up for me. I will see action in the next FIE Senior Satellite World Cup which will be in Copenghagen, Denmark on Oct 10. Then, if the Italian and French federation allows, I will participate in the Italian and French national championships scheduled on October 31 to November 1 and November 27-28. respectively. Then, I will proceed to the Senior World Cup in St Maur, France on December 12, 2021,” she said.
Since she’s the top seeded entering the competion, Esteban earned a bye and went straight to the quarterfinals. The 20-year-old Ateneo sensation defeated hometown bets Komila Mirzaeva and Umida Ilyosova to book a ticket to the finals. She faced Italy’s Marta Cammilletti and lost in the gold medal match.
