Long before Alex Eala steps off her flight from Singapore, anticipation is already building around the Asian Games in Aichi Prefecture, home to Japan’s largest Filipino community.
Thousands of overseas Filipino workers are expected to turn out at the Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center, where Eala begins her Asian Games 2026 campaign.
Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Patrick Gregorio said he expects strong support for Eala from Filipinos in Aichi and Nagoya.
‘Sigurado ako super excited ang mga kababayan natin sa Japan, particularly yung mga taga-Aichi Prefecture at Nagoya na mapanood si Alex,’ said Gregorio, whose confidence came from a conversation with Aichi Governor Hideaki Ohmura.
According to Ohmura, the industrial province, globally known as the beating heart of Toyota, hosts the highest concentration of Filipinos in Japan.
Based on statistics, there are almost 48,708 Filipinos in the Aichi Prefecture, including over 11,000 in Nagoya.
For Gregorio, the Filipino community’s support is one of the benefits of international competition.
‘Happy ang Pinoy ‘pag nakakakita ng atletang Pilipino. Happy din ang ating atleta ‘pag sinasalubong ng ating mga kababayan na OFW,’ he said
At 21, Eala has become one of the Philippines’ biggest names in tennis after victories over top-10 players and a historic run at Wimbledon.
The first round of Asian Games tennis kicks off Sunday with Eala raring to bounce back from a bronze-medal finish in 2023 Hangzhou.
Eala is currently competing in the Singapore Open, with her first match scheduled for Thursday.