Pinay tennis champ Marissa Sanchez dies at 69
Filipina tennis champion Marissa Sanchez has passed away. She was 69.
Her nephew, Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Elmer Cato, confirmed her death in a Facebook post on Jan. 4 with a heartfelt tribute.
"Long before Alex Eala, there was Marissa Dizon Sanchez who brought prestige and honor to the Philippines and the Filipino people as one of the top tennis sensations of her era," he wrote.
"The pride of the Sanchez Ayuyao clan of Angeles City and Magalang, Pampanga, Auntie Marissa rose to fame at a time when tennis was a male-dominated sport in the Philippines," he continued.
Sanchez became the No. 1 female tennis player in the Philippines after winning the National Open and the Philippine Tennis Association Open, according to the Philippine Sports Commission. She was also the first Filipino to bring home a medal for tennis in the country's first appearance in the sport at the 1977 Southeast Asian Games.
Per Cato, Sanchez became a sought-after coach in Angeles City when she retired from the sport in the 1980s. She also served as a sports consultant to Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan from 2010 to 2019.
