Senator Aquino pushes Senate to honor PH delegation for best Asiad haul in 60 years

MANILA – Senator Bam Aquino is seeking Senate recognition for the 447-member Philippine delegation that delivered the country’s biggest Asian Games medal haul in six decades.

Aquino announced Tuesday that he filed Senate Resolution 702 congratulating and commending the Filipino athletes who competed in the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, where the Philippines won 29 medals – four golds, nine silvers and 16 bronzes.

The haul surpassed the country’s 18 medals in the previous edition and was its biggest since collecting 42 medals at the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok.

“With the valiant effort of our Filipino athletes in their respective events, the Philippines delivered an impressive performance,” Aquino said.

Carlos Edriel Yulo accounted for two of the four gold medals after ruling the men’s vault and floor exercise in artistic gymnastics.

Ernest John “EJ” Obiena won the men’s pole vault, while Jesus Gabriel Derick Yape captured the mixed individual virtual taekwondo title.

The Philippines also reached the podium in boxing, basketball, sepak takraw, archery, taekwondo, jiu-jitsu, karate, weightlifting, athletics, esports, surfing, tennis, and beach volleyball.

Aquino said the achievement reflected not only the performance of the medalists but also the work of coaches, trainers, and support personnel behind the national delegation.

“The achievements of the Philippine delegation reflect not only the individual excellence and determination of its medalists but also the collective efforts of all Filipino athletes, coaches, trainers, and support personnel who have worked to represent the country with distinction,” he said.

Beyond honoring the delegation, Aquino said the performance showed the importance of sustained investment in grassroots sports, athlete training, coaching, facilities, and support programs.

He said strengthening the sports development pipeline could give more Filipinos opportunities to discover and develop their abilities and eventually represent the country in international competitions.

The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games were held from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4. (PNA)