Lolo Kiko died happy

Many admirers around the world, especially Catholics, have been surprised why our favorite and best loved Pope Francis, who recently left all of us in misery, stayed in a different apartment, from all the other past Popes, when he was ordained to the highest hierarchy of the Catholic Church years back.

A place where he would easily go around walking in Rome and enjoying his favorite restaurants when he found time to walk around.

Then he would sometimes take the bus to the football stadium incognito to cheer for his favorite team, Argentina, his country. Yes, he was a fanatic football fan too. And he was in Cloud nine, during the last World Cup in Qatar, where his idol Messi and team won the World Cup after a long time.

And finally, also for Messi on probably his last World Cup too. Yes, Lolo Kiko was also a sports man and a football player too.

Hye babe, you're on center court now

It's fantasy and great again to win over world's No. 2 tennis player Swiatek, but win or lose, doesn't really matter anymore as long as you're on the best tennis center court in Spain now for our newest rising tennis icon Alex Eala.

Madrid Open has all the current title holders and wannabes warming up prior to the French Open in Roland Garros this coming May. You name the world's best and they're all here waiting for their chance to earn more millions and improve their world ranking.

For Alex, this was her first time to enter the gladiators arena and a fulfillment of a long time dream. No more qualifying rounds but straight to the lions den.

And she just proved to the world her victory two weeks ago in Miami was no fluke by winning the first set against the Open defending champion Swiatek 6-4.

Leading the world's No. 2 at 5-1 in the very first set made everyone now realize she has what it takes to join the top 10 in the world soon enough at only 19 yrs old age. Unfortunately, she had to meet Swiatek in the early second round while we suspect she's still hurting with her buttocks and thigh after that tragic fall in Miami Open last month when she lost to the eventual winner, Pegula.

Oh yes, we can do it.

Filipinos can excel in tennis and other individual sports but always remember, she had to train at a very young age, with her parents sacrificing so much to join the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in Mallorca, Spain. Not here in our shores.

If she trained here, no way Maria. Sorry, but its true in tennis. This is an important lesson we should learn to accept from obvious experience. Start them young and send them all abroad when the right time comes.

This is the mission of Batang Pinoy, which I created when I was PSC Commissioner decades ago.