The Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Party-list lauded tennis sensation Alex Eala for dominating the W25 Chiang Rai tournament in Thailand.
Eala, currently the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) World No. 533, beat hometown bet and WTA World No. 955 Luksika Kumkhum, 6-4, 6-2, to clinch the W25 Chiang Rai title.
“We congratulate Alex on her second ITF (International Tennis Federation) title. This just goes to show that her ITF title victory last year at the W15 Manacor tournament in Spain was no mere fluke,” said PBA Party-list spokesperson Atty. Migs Nograles.
Eala’s win on Sunday gives her her second professional title.
Eala, currently the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) World No. 533, beat hometown bet and WTA World No. 955 Luksika Kumkhum, 6-4, 6-2, to clinch the W25 Chiang Rai title.
Meanwhile, Nograles urged the Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA) to comply with the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) directive to amend the PHILTA constitution and by-laws and hold an election that would include the warring major stakeholders in the sport.
“PHILTA should make haste in complying with the directives of the ITF because the longer it stays suspended, the longer its athletes suffer as they are banned from competing in ITF-sanctioned tournaments,” the Davaoeña lawyer said.
The ITF slapped a two-year suspension on PHILTA in December 2020 after the association continued to ignore ITF deadlines in submitting amendments to its constitution that would increase its membership base.
While the suspension is in place, the Philippine team would be banned from participating in the Davis Cup zonal qualifiers.
The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) executive board last month also suspended PHILTA for 90 days over the latter’s non-compliance with ITF directives. The POC announced it would temporarily secure supervision of the federation’s national team.
