TEAM Philippines experienced a lot of highs, and lows as well, in its campaign in the 20th Asian Games, bringing out different emotions to Filipino fans.
As the quadrennial meet closed on Sunday, we relive the top performers, the winners, the losses, and the heartbreaks in this feature.
HIGHS
Taekwondo
The Philippine taekwondo team is back to making noise with their prolific performance in the 20th Asian Games after bagging five medals, the most since 2014 where it also had five, all of which were bronzes. This time around, the squad got all the colors to emerge as the best performer in this Asiad. What was more impressive was that the team was coming off a lean single-bronze performance in Hangzhou.
The taekwondo squad got its first-ever gold in the Asiad thanks to Jeus Yape ruling the first-ever edition of virtual taekwondo. The squad also had close calls with Tachiana Mangin and Kurt Barbosa getting silver medals in the kyorugi. Poomsae continues to become a source of medals for Team Philippines with Juliana Candelaria taking home a silver in the women’s side and Yape also bagging a bronze in the men’s division.
Sepak takraw
Sepak takraw collected its first-ever silver medal in the Asian Games in the women’s doubles team of Abegail Sinogbuhan, Jean Marie Sucalit, and Nelly Jay Salon. The Philippines showed it can excel in the event making its Asiad return after 12 years that requires speed and precision. The country also won a bronze thanks to the men’s regu team of Reynaldo Asilum, Jason Huerte, Ronsited Gabayeron, Glindel Phori, and Jom Lerry Rafael.
Philippine sepak takraw looks to be on the rise, since it is now the second straight time that the team won two medals in the Asian Games after winning none since the sport was introduced in 1990.
Yulo brothers
Carlos Yulo finally collected the only medal that is missing in his resume when he won not just one but two gold medals in the Nagoya Asian Games. Yulo, as expected, gained his first Asiad gold in the floor exercise, and bounced back from a fall in the vault qualifications to secure his second gold.
What made the medal extra special was that he competed with and even against his younger brother Eldrew, who also shone in the Asiad with the 18-year-old winning a bronze medal in the parallel bars.
The prospects are bright for the Yulos following their wins with Carlos also scheduled to see action in the World Championships later this month.
EJ Obiena
As expected, the Filipino pole vault star won the gold, but claimed it in style, breaking the Asian Games record with a clearance of 5.91 meters. It was a great way to finish a 2026 season in which Obiena is getting back to the upper 5.0-meter performances after his statistics slipped due to nagging injuries. The Asiad gold surely brings a positive outlook for Obiena come the 2027 season.
The good thing about the country's track and field campaign in Nagoya was that Obiena wasn’t alone in winning medals with fellow Olympian John Cabang Tolentino securing bronze in the men’s 110m hurdles and Victoria Bossong taking bronze in the women’s 800m in her Asiad debut.
Gilas Pilipinas 3x3
The SBP's 3x3 program is starting to bear fruit with the women’s team of Kacey Dela Rosa, Amyah Espanol, Maria Pasilang, and Kennan Ka taking home the silver medal in the Asian Games. With the exception of Dela Rosa, the 3x3 team members were fresh from making it to the first-ever FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup after a successful campaign in the Nations League Asia.
Gen-Z athletes
The Philippine campaign saw an abundance of youth and junior athletes winning medals led by 18-year-old Eldrew Yulo. Albert Ian Delos Santos, 20, hit two new juniors weightlifting records on his way to the bronze medal in the men’s 70kg. Tachiana Mangin (women’s -49kg) and Juliana Castaneda (women’s individual poomsae), both aged 18, also won silver medals in their respective taekwondo competitions in the Asiad - a sign that there are more to come in future international competitions.
Beach volleyball
After winning the country’s first gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games from Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons in 2025, beach volleyball produced its best finish in an Asian Games competition in 2026 after Sophia Pagara and Khy Progella won a bronze. Beach volleyball looks to be on an upward ascent, based on recent feats.
Alex Eala
Alex Eala missed out on a gold and an outright qualification to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after settling for a bronze. By choosing to play in the Asian Games, Eala skipped the mandatory China Open, a WTA 1000 event, causing her to lose precious ranking points and risk a potential fine. But by choosing to fly for the flag and country in the Asian Games, Eala has perhaps endeared herself to more Filipinos fans, already a win in itself.
LOWS
Gilas Pilipinas 5-on-5
The Philippines’ Asian Games campaign suffered a hit early when Gilas Pilipinas Men failed to make it to the quarterfinals even before the actual opening ceremony of the Games. With the unavailability of the overseas-based players, Gilas Pilipinas, three years removed from their magical run in Hangzhou, decided to bring in a completely different team composed of PBA players. Worse, Gilas didn’t bring a naturalized player with Justin Brownlee injured and Bennie Boatwright still unavailable.
The results were a disaster as the Philippines took a costly loss in the first game to Bahrain. Needing a win or avoid losing by 37 points or more, Gilas failed to get the job done, losing by 44 points to China and bowed out, drawing angry reactions from fans as to what should have been done and calls for officials to rethink the program.
Jiu-jitsu
Following a two-gold haul in Hangzhou, jiu-jitsu failed to land a gold, with Annie Ramirez, one of the winners from three years ago, getting ousted early in her first bout. To be fair, it can be argued that Ramirez was not at her best form as she had to shed weight for the Asiad as her usual category of 57kg where she was also the world champion and the Asian Games titlist was scrapped. Instead, she competed in the 52kg category.
The team still wound up with two medals - silver from Alex Enriquez and bronze from Kaila Napolis - but there were expectations from Philippine sports officials that jiu-jitsu would deliver at least one of the eight they were projecting.
Boxing
Carlo Paalam was unable to break a 16-year gold boxing medal drought, but still managed to win a silver medal for the team after a loss to a Japanese foe, the result of which was seen by some as a contentious one.
Boxing, however, produced one medal for the second straight time in the Asian Games after Eumir Marcial’s silver in Hangzhou, and down from three in 2018, four in 2014, and three in 2010 including that last gold from Rey Saludar.
Kayla Sanchez
The three-time Southeast Asian Games came short - milliseconds short - of a bronze medal - twice - during the Asian Games swimming competitions. Sanchez was 0.19 seconds behind the bronze medal winner in the women’s 100m freestyle, and it was the same story in the 50m freestyle when she fell 0.29 seconds short of the 50m freestyle bronze.
SIBOL MLBB
Considered as a favorite to cruise to an Asian Games gold that was also projected by Philippine sports officials, SIBOL suffered a stunning quarterfinal loss at the expense of Southeast Asian neighbor Indonesia despite the presence of KarlTzy, one of the top esports players in the world, in the squad.
Indoor volleyball
Controversy erupted in volleyball once again after Bryan Bagunas revealed that the Alas Men team had problems financially prior to the Asian Games. Bagunas said some of his teammates couldn’t be present in practices, some of which needed to borrow money just so they could attend.
The controversy drew a lot of reactions and reached Malacanang as President Marcos ordered a probe into the lack of financial support to Filipino athletes. Already enduring controversies in the past particularly on the leadership side, another one that happened on the Asian stage where everyone is watching is the last thing the sport needed.
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