Reaping sweat and hard work, the Philippines hauled a new national best in the 20th Asian Games with a total of 29 medals — 4 golds, 9 silvers, and 16 bronzes — in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan on October 4.

Despite matching its 17th place during the country’s previous run in 2022, this year’s performance outnumbered its last 18-medal haul with 4 golds, 2 silvers, and 12 bronzes.

This year’s campaign also marked the Philippines highest medal count after six decades since its 22-medal count in 1970 in Bangkok, Thailand, becoming the country’s second highest haul following the 1966 Asian Games’ 42-medal run.

The 2026 edition also marked the Philippines’ largest Asian Games delegates in six decades, with 450 athletes competing in 38 sports.

Filipino star athletes, including double Olympic gymnast Carlos Yulo, tennis player Alex Eala, and pole vaulter EJ Obiena are among the athletes who competed.

Yulo brothers stick victory in men’s gymnastics

Olympic gymnast and national athlete Carlos Yulo hauled the country’s first golds, winning two successive top podium finishes from his floor exercise and vault in men’s gymnastics after scoring 14.666 and 14.599, respectively.

“And sweet kasi even though ganoon ang mga nangyayari po and kahit po lumagapak tayo, kahit natumba tayo sa high bar,  kahit hindi ko siya na-catch, ganoon ang bagsak ko sa vault, it was really sweet kasi nakapag-uwi po tayo ng two gold medals,” Yulo said in an ABS-CBN interview. 

Yulo’s win also marked the first time a Filipino gymnast won an Asian Games medal.

The gymnastics competition also launched the winning debut of Eldrew Yulo, Carlos’ younger brother, as he threaded a bronze finish in the men’s parallel bars.

Tougher spirit, tougher mindset 

Filipino pole vaulter, EJ Obiena, triumphed with the gold medal and broke the Asian Games record with a clearance of 5.91 meters, ranking him 11th in the world.

In an ABS-CBN interview, Obiena recalled his Asian gold through breaking resilience regardless of the weather conditions, as if withstanding anything. 

“If you remember, I jumped 5.90 in Hangzhou (at the previous Asian Games). It was perfect conditions, no rain, perfect wind,” he stated.

“Jumping that again in much tougher conditions says that I’m in a much better shape,” he added.

When the interviewer asked what changed, Obiena mentioned the period after the Paris Olympics where he missed out on the podium. 

“I would say resilience, and to be honest, just trying. I think after Paris, it’s maybe certain, how do you say, motivations were not on the right track,” he shared.

Twice the challenge, twice the win 

The Philippine taekwondo team is back on etching history following their 5 bronze haul at the 2014 Asian Games. 

Asiad first-timer Jeus Yape won a bronze medal in individual poomsae and a first-ever gold medal in mixed virtual taekwondo. 

“Super excited lang po talaga nu’ng nag-announce po and super happy po talaga kasi ayon nga po, talagang ‘yung preparation namin dito ay nakakapagod po talaga,” Yape expressed in a GMA News interview. 

Yape saved his best for last, scoring 500 points in the first round and 620 in the second against Vietnam’s Ngoc Tuyet Sang Chau and claiming his historic title and debut as an athlete. 

“Masasabi ko na worth it po lahat,” He added.

In Women’s taekwondo, Taichiana Keizha Mangin also reached the semifinals, defeating Japan and winning a silver medal after losing to China in the finale. 

In the women’s individual poomsae, a non-combat discipline of taekwondo, the silver medal went to 18-year old Juliana Candaleria after scoring a 9.3100.

In Men’s taekwondo, Kurt Bryan Barbosa also defeated Japan in the quarterfinals, reaching the gold match by beating Jordan in the semifinals — winning a silver medal after losing a match to Kazakhstan in the finale.

Kicking off history

Abegail Sinogbuhan, Jean Marie Sucalit, and Nelly Jay Salom collected their first historic silver medal in Sepak Takraw in the women’s doubles event. 

For team captain Sinogbuhan, it was a personal goal to mark history for the Philippine women’s Sepak Takraw team as they prepared for their Asian Games 2026 run.

“We trained for the whole year, and I kept telling them I wanted to make history for women’s Sepak Takraw. I was hoping we could do it at the Asian Games,” She said. 

The team’s goal was to enter the competition, simply hoping to make history and did not expect to reach the podium all through the championship match. 

“We just prayed that God would give us an opportunity to win a medal, whatever the color,” she added. 

In the men’s Sepak Takraw, the Philippines wound up a bronze medal in men’s regu after falling to Malaysia in the semifinals, equaling their medal in their last 2023 Asian Games play.

Striking the ball, shooting victories

As several class-competing athletes took hold in the games, other notable great Filipino athletes prevailed, starting with ball games such as Alex Eala, who finished her rally with a bronze medal in tennis women’s singles. 

Meanwhile, the Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 women’s basketball team fell flat on taking over gold and settled on a silver after falling in the match against Japan.

In softball tennis, Bien Zoleta and the team pioneered softball as the first bronze medal the Philippines have received in 30 years in the sport.

Alas Pilipinas team, Khy Progella and Sofiah Pagara completed a historic bronze medal in women’s beach volleyball, winning over China’s Cao Shuting and Dong Jie in securing the podium. 

Carrying the weight, finding the strength

Setting the stage for a historic debut, Albert Ian Delos Santos clinched the bronze medal in weightlifting while setting a new junior world record after lifting 181 and 183 kilograms in his final two clean and jerk attempts.

In his post-match interview, Delos Santos recalled the memory of his late father as he stepped on his brightly lit platform, dedicating his lift to him.

“Coincidentally, ‘yung lights, it’s not that bright sa iba. But ‘yung platform ko mismo was the bright. Sabi ko, I’m gonna be sentimental. That’s papa,” Delos Santos shared.

“To my Filipino supporters, thank you po for supporting and watching. And for those curious, that is my late father. Every lift, dini-dedicate ko po sa kanya. Sa kanya lang talaga,” he added.

It was his habit to always bring a picture of his father and regardless of the medals, records, and pressure, the light of the platform always reminded him that, “Papa was watching.”

Winning in the arts of combat

For the martial arts and combat competitions, Jean Claude Saclag on mixed martial arts men’s traditional secured the first silver medal for the Philippines while Carlos Alvarez secured a bronze medal. 

Mariano June Adriano of the Philippine national karate team captured the bronze medal in women’s kumite with a score of 10 – 3 over Taiwan. Samantha Emmanuelle Veguillas, Ysabielle Arrogante, and Rebecca Cyril Torres all won bronze medals the following day.

Lastly, in women’s jiu-jitsu, Alex Enriquez secured the silver medal, while Kaila Napolis claimed bronze.

In men’s boxing, Carlos Paalam, the first Filipino boxer to win the gold medal during 2010, has settled for a silver medal, losing to Japanese Rui Yamaguchi on a score of 3 – 2. 

For archery, Amaya Cojuangco took the silver medal for women’s individual category, missing the gold as Indonesia hit 10 with the final arrow. 

Back-to-back victories

Bringing home a bronze medal in athletics, John Tolentino ended the Philippines’ long wait for a medal in the men’s 110-meter hurdles, a feat the country had not achieved since Elma Muros won bronze in 1990.

Furthermore on athletics is the women’s 800m run for Victoria Bossong, also winning a bronze medal where she finished the race in two minutes and 5.34 seconds, wrapping up as a third placer. 

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Jayuard Alcision won the bronze medal in the men’s shortboard surfing event after defeating a fellow Filipino, Toby Espejon, in a match, finishing with 8.90 as his score. 

Lastly, Team Sibol secured the Philippines’ first-ever esports medals in the Asian Games, taking home two bronze medals after its Pokémon UNITE team fell 0–2 to Indonesia in the semifinals, while its Honor of Kings squad suffered a 0–2 semifinal loss to China.

Powered by breakthroughs, resilience, and the stories behind them, the Philippines came in strong at the 20th edition of the Asian Games, showing its strength in six decades across several sport disciplines.

The next Asian Games is expected to be held at Doha, Qatar in 2030.