MANILA – Aside from tennis’ newest star Alex Eala, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, and gymnast bothers Carlos and Eldrew Yulo, a slew of Filipino athletes recently snared medals from various international events.
The Philippine youth team shone at the Asian Rowing Beach Sprint Championships in Pattaya, Thailand, winning three golds, one silver, and one bronze medal.
Emmanuel Pilar topped the U16 coastal men’s single sculls and the double sculls with Kyle Olano, while Khayzie Caviltes and Ayonna Huerto ruled the U19 coastal women’s double sculls.
Matt Jugadora pocketed silver in the U19 coastal men’s single sculls, and Amelyn Pagulayan-Feiza Lenton took home the bronze in the coastal women’s double sculls.
Meanwhile, 2024 Paris Olympian Joanie Delgaco snared bronze in the women’s single sculls at the 67th Internationale Ratzeburger Ruderregatta in Germany.
Rowing Regatta
At the 122nd Vienna International Rowing Regatta in Austria, the Philippine team collected one gold, one silver and two bronze medals.
Edgar Ilas won in the lightweight men’s single sculls, while the men’s pair of Rynjie Peñaredondo and Van Maxilom clinched the silver.
Delgaco added two bronze medals to her collection -- one in the women’s single sculls and another in the women’s doubles with Kristine Paraon.
Triple gold
In aquatics, divers Gabriella De Jesus, Gillianne Amber De Leon and Jana Rodriguez brought home a gold each from the 3rd Parisakti Diving International Competition in Jakarta, Indonesia.
De Jesus and De Leon both captured the gold in Group B Girls’ platform event after finishing tied for first place, while Rodriguez topped the girls’ Open platform competition.
De Jesus added a silver in the Group B girls’ 1-meter springboard.
Swimmers Riannah Chantelle Coleman and Jamesray Ajido, meanwhile, qualified for the Dakar Youth Olympic Games in Senegal, slated from Oct. 31 to Nov. 13, 2026.
Other Filipino qualifiers include Pi Durden Wangkay and Naomi Marjorie Cesar (athletics), cyclist Maritanya Krog, and wushu artist Angel Polo.
Three more Filipinos are vying for slots in gymnastics and windsurfing, with the Philippines expected to receive a total of nine spots via the universality rule.
Universality places are special entry spots in individual sports reserved for underrepresented or developing nations even if they do not meet strict performance standards.
Biado’s dominance
The Philippines also finished 1-2 in the Predator PBC Indonesia International 10-Ball Open, also held in Jakarta.
Three-time world champion Carlo “The Black Tiger” Biado beat Paolo Gallito, 10-9.
Biado won the world 9-ball championship twice (2017 and 2025) and the world 10-ball title in 2024.
Team Philippines likewise made an impact in lawn bowling as Marisa Baronda-Johnson and Jocelyn Salanap dominated at the Lion City Cup in Singapore, striking gold in the ends format and silver in the sets format.
The Philippine team similarly impressed at the Singapore Youth Archery Championships, bringing home a total of 30 medals -- 13 gold, 10 silver and seven bronze.
Abigail Jane Lim and Mateusz Vaughn Johnson nailed three individual gold medals each to lead the Filipinos’ campaign.
Eala made it to the fourth round of Wimbledon in London, the first Filipino reach that stage in a Grand Slam since Felicisimo Ampon’s quarterfinal run at the 1953 French Open in Paris.
Obiena, who ranked world No. 2 in 2023, won at the Czesław Cybulski Memorial in Poznań, Poland, and at the Raiffeisen Austrian Open in Eisenstadt.
At the 13th Senior Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championship in China, Carlos and Eldrew struck gold and bronze, respectively, in the floor exercise.
Both Obiena and Carlos Yulo both made it to the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics, with the latter snaring two golds in Paris. / PNA
