Cignal TV is going the extra mile to ensure Filipino fans will not miss Alex Eala’s campaign at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
With tennis excluded from the 28 sports guaranteed a live world feed by host broadcaster China Media Group-International Media Port, the Philippine broadcaster is spending an additional P1 million to produce its own coverage from the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center.
Cignal will deploy its own cameras and digital equipment to provide live coverage of Eala’s matches, according to Cignal first vice president and head of sports content Sienna Olaso.
“We will not let the Filipinos down by not being able to watch Eala’s games here,” Olaso said. “We’ll place our own cameras and digital equipment.”
Cignal is the official Philippine broadcaster of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with coverage available on ONE Sports, ONE Sports+ and Pilipinas Live. Its promotional campaign has centered on some of the country’s biggest athletes, including Eala, gymnast Carlos Yulo, and pole vaulter EJ Obiena.
Tennis was left without a guaranteed live world feed after several of Asia’s biggest names opted to skip the Asian Games.
(C) PSC
The Chinese Tennis Association confirmed that Zheng Qinwen, Zhang Zhizhen, Jerry Shang Juncheng, Bu Yunchaokete, and Wang Xinyu will not compete in Aichi-Nagoya. Instead, they are set to play ATP events in Chengdu and Hangzhou, as well as the China Open in Beijing.
The China Open, featuring an ATP 500 and WTA 1000 tournament, overlaps with the Asian Games tennis competition beginning September 27.
Indonesia’s Janice Tjen has also withdrawn, while Japan’s leading players are likewise expected to sit out the continental showcase.
The withdrawals have left Eala, currently ranked No. 18 in the world, as the highest-ranked player in the women’s singles field.
The 20-year-old Filipina is also among the select Top 20 players who chose to compete in the Asian Games instead of the China Open, giving up the opportunity to earn ranking points and prize money in Beijing.
Eala will head to Nagoya after her campaign in the Singapore Open, as she tries to make history for the Philippines. The country is chasing its first Asian Games tennis gold medal since 1962, adding even more significance to Eala’s campaign in Aichi-Nagoya.
