(CNN Philippines, June 27) — Maxine Esteban has finally broken her silence on her decision to switch nationalities, saying it was all about self-respect.
Esteban, once the highest-ranked Filipino fencer in the world, has decided to chase her Olympic dream with Ivory Coast, a country in West Africa, after not having an opportunity to secure a spot in the Philippine team.
\”A lot of people have been asking about my decision. Yes, I am focused on achieving my Olympic dream. However, more than that dream, it was self-respect,\” she said in a statement Monday.
\”Sometimes, we must give ourselves enough respect to walk away from something that doesn’t value our worth,\” she said.
The former UAAP standout said she did everything she could to continue representing the Philippines but a string of events prompted her to compete for another nation.
\”I want everyone to know that I did everything humanly possible to fulfill this long-time dream with the Filipino flag sewn on my uniform. But a series of unfortunate events, very little of which I had any control, overforced me to chase my dream in a distant, yet familiar land,\” she stressed.
Since playing for Ivory Coast, Esteban already had a podium finish, placing third in the African Championships in Cairo, Egypt last week. She also leapt to a new career-high, now ranking 46th in the world.
The four-time Southeast Asian Games medalist thanked Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham \”Bambol\” Tolentino for helping her waive the three-year residency rule so she could immediately compete for Ivory Coast.
\”The honorable POC president’s request to the International Olympic Committee to waive the three-year residency so I can compete under the flag of my second home, Côte d’Ivoire, will go a long way in ensuring I get a decent and fair shot at competing in Paris in the 2024 Olympics,\” Esteban said.
\”That is, after all, the only thing I had ever wanted: a fair chance. And Mr. Tolentino’s request for that waiver shows his desire to give every Filipino an opportunity to accomplish their sporting dreams, no matter from what shores those dreams are fulfilled,\” she continued.
