With the COVID-19 lockdown in full effect in different parts of the world, ONE Championship athletes are forced to stay at home while waiting for the virus to be contained.
However, given the travel restrictions both in the Philippines and abroad, some of these athletes are spending their lockdown away from their loved ones.
Such is the case for these ONE heroes.
“I feel different emotions right now cause I am away from them,” ONE women’s atomweight contender Denice “The Menace Fairtex” Zamboanga said.
Zamboanga is coming off a career-altering win over Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi at ONE: King of the Jungle in Singapore. Right now, though, she is currently hunkered down at the Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya, Thailand, where she usually trains for her matches.
“I feel sad and scared, of course, because I am not with my family during this time of crisis. I just make sure to check on them every day and know that they are safe.”
Another athlete away from his family in this crisis is ONE lightweight Trestle “Jun Minion” Tan.
Tan is currently in Germany working as an instructor and coach in a martial arts gym, and he admits that being far away from his parents in Cebu is a struggle.
Though confident the virus has not reached his parent’s small town, Tan cannot help but worry.
“We all don’t know when the situation is going to get back to normal,” Tan said. “As much as possible, I want to be on their side to protect and guide them away from this virus.
“My parents are in a small town of Cebu, which is a good thing because they are away from the main city. I am confident that they know how to act in these situations,” he continued.
“Although I have constant communication with my family, I still prefer to be around them right now because if one gets sick, that’s another story.”
Flyweight Ramon “The Bicolano” Gonzales might still be in the Philippines, but he is also far away from his family.
Gonzales is in San Juan City in Metro Manila, while his family is based in the province of Bicol, south of Luzon.
Given that the entirety of Luzon island is in lockdown, all Gonzales can do is to pray and remind his family of the things that they need to do during these times.
“The biggest challenge for me is worrying about my family. They’re far away from me now and I think about them all the time,” Gonzales said.
“I just make sure to keep in touch every day, and I never get tired of reminding them of the things that they need to do to stay safe.”
Praying for a quick end to this crisis, these athletes are working double-time to hone their craft, and the silver lining for them is they are stuck in their respective habitats — their gym.
“I am thankful because Fairtex has always taken care of me,” Zamboanga said.
“They attended to me and in a sense, I still get to workout.”
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