Two Filipina footballers - Quinley Quezada and Sarina Bolden – now join the growing ranks of Filipino athletes finding greener pastures in Japan.
Japan is fast becoming the hot destination for Filipino athletes in basketball and volleyball but also football.
This, as two Filipinas are officially joining the Women’s Empowerment (WE) League, the first ever women’s professional football league in Japan.
Quinley Quezada and Sarina Bolden first announced their decision to play in the WE League back in June.
They were among those nominated by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) as the country’s ASEAN players to the WE League last March.
Bolden will suit up for Chifure AS Elfen Saitama; while Quezada will play for the JEF United Chiba Ladies.
A total of 11 clubs will be competing in the inaugural season of the WE League which will kick off on September 12.
The two Filipina booters last saw action for the national team in the 30th Southeast Asian Games where they combined for four goals in four matches.
Quezada also scored four goals by herself in the AFF Women's Championship in 2019 where the Philippines ended in a program-best fourth-place finish.
Bolden was officially welcomed by the Chifure AS Elfen Saitama last September 3. Since 2018, she has been a part of the Philippine National Team while playing in different clubs in countries such as the United States and Sweden.
"I am honored to be here," Bolden said about her new club. "I am happy to be able to play in the first year of the league."
Quezada on the other hand was an ex-striker of the University of California in her college career.
She also joined the Philippine National Team in 2018 alongside Bolden, and last bannered the flag in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
This will rack up the total of Filipino athletes to be playing in Japan at the professional level. Seven Filipino basketball players in Thirdy and Kiefer Ravena, Kobe Paras, Juan and Javi Gomez de Liano, Bobby ‘Ray’ Parks, and Justine Baltazar are set to compete in both the first and second divisions of the B.League. Three volleyball players in Jaja Santiago, Bryan Bagunas, and Marck Espejo will play in the V.League.
All the best to our Filipina booters in the WE League!
(Nicole Pulido)
Tags: #Japan, #football, #JapanVELeague, #QuinleyQuezada, #SarinaBolden