Filipina football freestyler finishes 7th in Indonesian tiff

MANILA, Philippines — Jessa Alquino continues to blaze a trail for Filipina athletes in freestyle football.

The 22-year-old lass from General Santos City finished seventh in the KSBF Championship International Freestyle Competition last November 17.

Alquino was the lone female bet in a field of 32 Indonesians.

A seventh place finish isn’t so bad considering Alquino was recently battling a foot injury in what has been a sterling 2021 for her in terms of freestyle online competition.

She finished fifth in the Primer Torneo International Femenino Freestyle Soccer Milenium de las Americas, an online tournament based in Colombia last April 10.

Alquino followed that up by finishing 32nd out of 50 competitors in the Red Bull Street Style Women’s World Qualifier last July 18.

Her biggest achievements this year were winning the Skyworth Philippine Football Video Contest online competition last July 16 and ruling the 2nd Philippine Football Freestyle Championship Online Edition last September 17.

“I feel blessed,” she exclaimed of her feats.

Alquino only took up freestyle football after watching the Asian Football Freestyle Championships in Davao. “Na-inspire ako,” she succinctly said of her getting into the sport.

Previously, Alquino played futsal but switched to freestyle football after being dazzled by a series of online videos from athletes all over the world.

“Naisip ko – ang fun naman nito. Pero test siya ng skill at creativity mo,” she noted of the sport.

In her very first competition, Jessa finished fourth place in the Philippine Football Freestyle Championship of 2019.

The next calendar year saw her make even bigger strides as she had a pair of first-runner-up finishes in the twin Singapore-based 1 Play Sports Stay Home Soccer Challenge as well as the eSingaCup 2020 Skills Zone Video Contest.

“Yung second places finishes nay un ay nagbigay ng kumpiyansa sa akin na kayao ko mag-excel sa freestyle football.”

Alquino hopes that should the situation around the world get much better by 2022, she will travel abroad to compete in bigger freestyle football tournaments.

“Iyan ang panaginip ko,” she summed up.