PH nets biggest Asian Games medal haul in 6 decades

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Gymnastics star Carlos Yulo, pole vault stalwart EJ Obiena, and taekwondo standout Jeus Yape show the way for the Philippines' 29-medal finish in the 2026 Asian Games

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines recorded its biggest Asian Games haul in six decades as it wrapped up its campaign in the 20th edition in Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday, October 4, with four golds, nine silvers, and 16 bronzes for a total of 29 medals.

Although the country matched its 17th-place finish in 2023 in Hangzhou, China, it came away with its most medals since winning 42 in the 1966 staging in Bangkok, Thailand.

Gymnastics star Carlos Yulo showed the way for the delegation with two golds, while pole vault stalwart EJ Obiena and taekwondo standout Jeus Gabriel Derick Yape scored one each as they all claimed a piece of history.

Yulo ruled in men’s floor exercise and vault — the same events in which he captured his two Olympics golds — to become the first Filipino gymnast to win an Asian Games medal. In doing so, he completed his collection which includes titles from the World Championships, Asian Championships, World Cup, and Southeast Asian Games.

Obiena defended his men’s pole vault crown in record-breaking fashion, setting a new Asian Games mark of 5.91 meters as he emerged as only the fourth back-to-back champion in the event.

Then in a breakthrough in taekwondo, Yape became the Philippines’ first-ever Asian Games gold medalist in the sport following his triumph in the mixed individual virtual taekwondo, an event that debuted in the continental showpiece.

Yape secured the landmark gold for Philippine taekwondo after bagging bronze in the men’s individual poomsae. 

With four golds, the country equaled its tally in 2023 and 2018 in Jakarta-Palembang, Indonesia.

The Philippine Olympic Committee and Philippine Sports Commission initially set an eight-gold target — a haul that, if achieved, would have marked the Philippines’ first time winning at least five golds in a single edition since its seven-gold showing in 1962.

But a fifth gold remained elusive, with the country enduring final losses in mixed martial arts, 3×3 basketball, sepak takraw, archery, boxing, taekwondo, and jiu-jitsu.

MMA fighter Jean Claude Saclag (men’s traditional -65kg) delivered the first silver followed by the Gilas Women team of Kacey dela Rosa, Kennan Ka, Amyah Espanol, and Maria Pasilang (women’s 3×3 basketball), the sepak takraw squad of Jean Marie Sucalit, Abegail Sinogbuhan, and Nelly Jay Salon (women’s double), archer Amaya Amparo Cojuangco (women’s individual compound), and taekwondo jin Juliana Mykhail Candelaria (women’s individual poomsae).

The Philippines stayed on track to break through that four-gold ceiling on Friday, October 2, as boxer Carlo Paalam (men’s 55kg) and taekwondo bets Tachiana Mangin (women’s -49kg) and Kurt Barbosa (men’s -58kg) all reached the finals, only to fall short in their respective title bouts.

Jiu-jitsu champion Alexandria Enriquez (women’s -63kg) stood as the Philippines’ last hope for a fifth gold on Saturday, October 3, but she suffered the same fate as Paalam, Mangin, and Barbosa following a narrow loss by advantage to Thailand’s Orapa Senatham.

The Philippines secured 16 bronzes, its most since also bagging 16 in 2002, with the likes of tennis star Alex Eala (women’s singles), gymnast Eldrew Yulo (men’s horizontal bar), weightlifter Albert Ian delos Santos (men’s 70kg), and athletics bets Victoria Bossong (women’s 800m) and John Cabang Tolentino (men’s 110m hurdles) also contributing to the tally. 

As expected, China claimed the overall championship, doing so for the 12th consecutive edition as it dominated with 169 golds, 89 silvers, and 83 bronzes. 

Host Japan finished second in the medal standings for the third straight time with 83 golds, 95 silvers, and 91 bronzes, while South Korea placed third with 39 golds, 43 silvers, and 68 bronzes. 

Meanwhile, Thailand ended up as the best Southeast Asian nation, landing at seventh with 18 golds, 13 silvers, and 21 bronzes followed by Malaysia (9-7-16) at 11th, Indonesia (5-11-23) at 16th, then the Philippines.

Check the list of the Filipino medalists here:

 – Rappler.com