Naomi and Malea — the two golds of the Cesar family
CHONBURI — Two Cesars, two historic triumphs.
A couple of nights after Naomi Cesar took a bow as champion in the women’s 800-meter run in athletics, her elder sister Malea appeared at the center of the podium, too, as member of the triumphant Filipinas.
Not only are the girls members of Team Philippines’ winners’ club, they’re part of the history-makers’ group, as well.
Naomi, at 16, became the youngest Pinoy to win a Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) athletics mint. Malea, 22, helped the country to its first-ever SEAG football crown.
“It’s not something that we really, like, talked about but we both knew it’s a possibility,” said Malea of the double gold.
“So we don’t really visualize it for ourselves, visualize for each. We just both knew we’re cheering each other on,” she added.
With football action based in Chonburi and the Pinay booters through to the knockout stages, Malea couldn’t be in Bangkok, located some 119 kilometers away, for Naomi’s golden run. She watched the live broadcast of the race at the team’s hotel and was captured on video crying in joy when her kid sister won.
With her competition over, Naomi made sure to be at the stands when Malea and the Filipinas collared coveted gold on Wednesday night.
Malea went up to their seats to give Naomi, Dad Ben and Mom Christie a big hug.
“It’s surreal, super special to have my sister there with me and have my parents in the crowd,” she said.
“It’s something that I’ve been dreaming about and all my teammates are dreaming about and to have this moment with everybody that’s here is really special,” she added.
It was extra special for Ben, who competed in the SEA Games during his time as a trackster in the 1990s but didn’t medal.
Now there’s not one, but two, golds in their hands. — Olmin Leyba
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