Philippine Olympic Athletes for Tokyo 2020

Philippine Olympic Athletes for Tokyo 2020

Miggy Dumlao • July 19, 2021

The Olympics are finally upon us. Sports fans and athletes were deprived of the quadrennial event in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic but the greatest athletic competition on earth is finally set to begin on July 23 of 2021 in Tokyo.


Every athlete’s dream is to wave the flag of their country in their respective sport in the Olympics and the Philippines is no different. These 19 athletes hope to make the Pearl of the East proud and bring home that elusive gold medal.

Listed in alphabetical order.



Elreen Ando


Ando earned her berth for Tokyo 2020 via continental allocation as the highest ranked athlete in the International Weightlifting Federation absolute ranking list for the women's -64kg event in Asia.


Though overshadowed by star weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, the Cebuana has all the tools needed to make her own mark and bring the nation pride this coming Olympics.


Kurt Barbosa


Barbosa clinched his berth after gutting out a last gasp win in the 2021 Asian Taekwondo Olympic Qualification Tournament in Amman, Jordan.


Barbosa is the sole Taekwondo representative for the Philippines and the 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist hopes to fly the jins’ banner high in the Olympics when he competes in the 58-kg weight class.


Hidilyn Diaz


Diaz needs no introduction to Filipino fans and the weightlifting world is sure to have their eyes on her at the Olympics. She might one up herself this year, bettering her runner up placing in the Rio Olympics in 2016.


She officially qualified for Tokyo by lifting a 90kg snatch in the Asian Weightlifting Championships held in April of this year.


Margielyn Didal


Didal is a fan favorite and a trailblazer for Philippine skating and she needs no introduction. The 2020 Asia Skater of the Year Awardee qualified for the Olympics by virtue of being the 13th ranked female skater in the world.


While her back is against the wall with strong competition with the likes of skateboarding hotbeds Brazil, Japan, and the United States sure to field virtuoso skaters, Didal is as strong a bet as any of our athletes to get that elusive gold medal for the Philippines.


Luke Gebbie


Gebbie and fellow swimmer Remedy Rule completed the 19 athletes that will compete in the Olympics for the Philippines. Gebbie qualified by virtue of having enough points from FINA.


The Australia- based Filipino holds several national records including the 50 meter freestyle and 50 meter butterfly events. After finishing with a silver and bronze to his name in the 2019 South East Asia games, it may be time for an overdue gold medal this Olympics.


Kristina Knott


The Miami based Knott joined the Philippine national team for athletics fairly recently as a way to connect more to her Filipino roots. Fast forward a couple of years and the Filipino-American sprinter is as good a bet as any to get that elusive gold for the Philippines.


Knott is the national record holder for both the 100 meter and 200 meter events and after securing four medals in the 2019 SEA

Games she looks to add to her medal collection in Tokyo.


Irish Magno


Magno was the first Filipino to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics back in March of last year. That also makes her the first Filipina boxer to qualify for the Summer Games in history.


The Ilongga has been a staple of the Philippine national team for a long time, earning her first gold medal in an international competition back in 2012 at the Taiwan Open in Taipei. She represented the Philippines in the 2019 SEA Games ultimately finishing second. Here’s hoping she one ups that by gaining gold in the 2020 Olympic games.


Eumir Marcial


Fourth on our list is also a long time staple in Philippine boxing. Marcial has been boxing since he was 6 and it shows as he is possibly the country’s best hope to gain gold after running roughshod against quality competition back in the Asia/Oceania qualifiers in 2020.


Here’s hoping the solidly built middleweight will continue his dominance over his division in the Olympics.


Cris Nievarez


Rowing may not be a popular sport in the Philippines but maybe Nievarez can change that with a strong showing this summer games.


The Atimonan, Quezon native qualified for the Olympics early in May by making the semifinals of the World Rowing Asia Oceania Continental Qualification Regatta. The 21-year-old booked his place as the sole representative of the national rowing team and he looks to put forth a massive effort in the men’s lightweight single sculls.


EJ Obiena


The Philippines has a long line of greats in the field of athletics and EJ Obiena hopes to be the next household name. In fact, he might already be there as a 2019 SEA Games gold medalist and the current face of track and field.


Obiena qualified way back in 2020 and here’s hoping he soars the highest in Tokyo.


Carlo Paalam


The 2019 SEA Games flyweight gold medalist earned his berth for the Olympics back in March. He has been a boxer for the national team since 2013 and he has garnered quite a few medals along the way.


The pride of Cagayan de Oro was a scavenger back when he was discovered at 9 years old and the Olympics may be the perfect ending of this rags to riches story if he wins a gold medal.


Bianca Pagdanganan


While overshadowed by Yuka Saso, Pagdanganan is no slouch herself when it comes to golf. The Quezon City native has been competing for the Philippines for a while now, winning bronze in the individual event in the 2018 Asian Games along with a gold in the team event with Saso.


She has been golfing since her father brought her along to his weekend golf sessions and her journey has come to this, aiming to bring glory to the Philippines in Tokyo 2020.


Juvic Pagunsan


Another golfer for the Philippines, Pagunsan is the senior player compared to Saso and Pagdanganan. He has been playing professionally in the Japan Tour since way back in 2006 and has garnered 11 professional wins in the tour.


Pagunsan qualified via international rankings and here’s hoping he swings his way to victory for the Philippines.


Nesthy Petecio


Another female boxer flying the flag of the Philippines is Nesthy Petecio. She has been training with the national team since she was 15 years old and she won many gold medals along her journey to the Olympics which she qualified for at the same time as Paalam.


The Davaoeña hopes to add another gold to her coffer in the Olympics and it’s safe to say that that will be the sweetest victory of them all.


Remedy Rule


Rule and Luke Gebbie were the last athletes to qualify for the Olympics and they are both strong bets for the Philippines. Rule is based in the United States and competed for the University of Texas Longhorns in the NCAA.


She has been competing for the Philippines since 2019 and has since earned numerous medals including two silvers in the 2019 SEA Games.


Yuka Saso


Saso needs no introduction as she has brought golf to the national spotlight by winning tournaments at such a young age. She won gold in the 2018 Asian Games and has been on a steady rise in popularity since then.


She is a contender for the Philippines this Tokyo 2020 and here’s hoping she will have a strong showing in the golf course.


Kiyomi Watanabe


One athlete who will have a short trip to Tokyo will be Kiyomi Watanabe as the Filipino-Japanese judoka is already based in Japan. The Cebu born Watanabe qualified for the Olympics via continental quota.


She has been representing the Philippines since 2011 and has bagged numerous medals since then including dominating her event in the SEA Games getting gold in the 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019 editions of the games.


Jayson Valdez


Philippine air rifle shooter Valdez is hoping to shoot his shot this Olympics by performing well in his events. His qualification for the Olympics is a dream come true for the Manila based shooter.


He has a great support system in his father, also an avid shooter, and Philippine legend Tac Padilla. The Filipino fans will also surely be in the corner of Valdez this coming Tokyo 2020.


Carlos Yulo


This article was listed in alphabetical order to highlight how all the athletes are of equal footing but it seems funnily ironic that the last entry is possibly the face of all the Philippine Olympians in Tokyo.


Yulo burst on to the national consciousness by becoming the first ever Filipino world champion in gymnastics by winning gold in the 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championship held in Stuttgart.


The 21-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top and he hopes to add olympic gold to his laundry list of achievements in his young career.


All these athletes deserve the support of every Filipino. The Covid-19 pandemic has made us all wait for one more year for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but the wait is now over and it is time to spur on our champions to conquer the world.

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ANOC World Beach Games 2023 Cancelled: Indonesia's Withdrawal Stuns Sports Community

July 18, 2023
Budget Woes Derail ANOC World Beach Games in Bali, Leaves Athletes and Fans Disheartened Regrettably, ANOC has received unexpected and disheartening news regarding the 2023 ANOC World Beach Games, initially set to be hosted by the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI). The KOI has withdrawn its commitment to organize the ANOC World Beach Games and the ANOC General Assembly, slated for August 2023. This sudden decision, delivered merely a month before the Games commenced, has left ANOC in a challenging position. With insufficient time to secure an alternate host, the unfortunate outcome is canceling this year's edition of the Games in Bali and the ANOC General Assembly. Future arrangements for the General Assembly, including new dates and locations, will be communicated as soon as available. ANOC sincerely apologizes to the affected NOCs, athletes, and International Federations (IFs) who had steadfastly supported the event. The organization also extends its regrets to fans across the globe. Despite the inherent challenges in the preparations for such a multifaceted event, ANOC had been continually assured by KOI that viable solutions were underway and that the Games would proceed according to plan. Regular coordination meetings between ANOC and KOI were held, with the most recent occurring just last week. KOI did not indicate any imminent issues that could lead to this outcome. In this unfortunate circumstance, ANOC's immediate focus lies in supporting the athletes and ensuring that the affected NOCs and IFs are appropriately compensated given the unforeseen cancellation of the Games. The original statement appeared here.

POC Celebrates Olympic Day 2023: A Day of Camaraderie, Inclusivity, and Sportsmanship

July 14, 2023
With this year's theme, "Let's Move," POC is one with the nation to keep moving forward together, overcoming challenges. The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) celebrated Olympic Day on June 23, 2023, at the University of the Philippines (UP) Track and Field Oval in Diliman, Quezon City. POC President Abraham Tolentino and members of the Philippine Olympian Association, Special Olympics Philippines, and other sports stakeholders led the event. The celebration kicked off with a fun run, followed by a series of sports activities, such as basketball, volleyball, and taekwondo. There were also educational seminars on the Olympic Movement and its values. POC stressed the importance of Olympic Day in promoting physical activity and sportsmanship among Filipinos. He also urged the youth to dream big and strive to represent the Philippines in the Olympics one day. The POC's celebration of Olympic Day was a success, and it helped to raise awareness of the Olympic Movement in the Philippines. The event also served as a platform for young athletes to showcase their talents and inspire others to participate in sports.

The 31st SEA Games Highlights

By Glad Jacinto • May 25, 2022
And just like that, the 31st edition of the Southeast Asian Games has officially concluded. Let’s take a quick look at this year’s highlights. We clinched our first gold medal even before the opening ceremony from the Pencak Silat team courtesy of Francine Padios in the Women's Artistic Single event. Olympic pole vaulter EJ Obiena lead the Philippine delegation in the parade of nations as the country’s flag bearer. The Philippine Olympic Committee recommended both Obiena and fellow Olympian Hidilyn Diaz share the task but the event organizer only allowed one flag bearer per country, to which Diaz agreed it should be Obiena. The athletes immediately got back to action after the opening ceremony with the country continuing to pile up the medals. Breaking records and ending the drought Gymnast Carlos Yulo is the most bemedaled Filipino athlete for two consecutive SEA Games. Yulo’s outstanding run resulted in five gold medals in the men’s division of individual all-around, floor exercise, still rings, vault, and high bar. He got two more silver in the parallel bars and the men’s artistic gymnastics team together with Jan Gwynn Timbang, Juancho Miguel Besana Eserio, John Ivan Cruz, Justine Ace de Leon, and John Matthew Vergara. While he got the same number of medals in 2019, he has more gold medals this round. EJ Obiena remained at the top of the men’s pole vault category and reset his own SEA Games record to 5.46 meters in a single attempt. The Philippine women’s football team ended a 37-year medal drought after a thrilling 2-1 comeback win over Myanmar. The last was in 1985. When it rains… After eleven years, we bagged gold again in bowling with Merwin Tan’s singles win and another with Patrick Neil Nuqui, Ivan Dominic Malig, and Christian Dychangco in the men’s team of four-event. In Esports, we closed our first women’s gold in the League of Legends: Wild Rift (Mobile) - Women Team Event. Kim Manrobang swept the duathlon and triathlon golds, her third consecutive in women’s triathlon. Manrobang with Fernando Casares in the men’s division swept the triathlon golds. Swimmer Chloe Isleta ended our decades-long gold drought in the women’s category. Weightlifter Vanessa Sarno shattered all three SEA Games records in the women’s 71kg. Other highlights The athletics team brought in the most number of medals with over 20 in total followed by the dancesport and gymnastics teams; gymnast Aleah Finnegan contributed two golds and two silvers in her SEA Games debut. Eumir Marcial bagged his fourth straight SEA Games gold after beating Delio Anzaqeci Mouzinho of Timor Leste in the men’s -75kg finals. Rubilen Amit from the billiards team got a couple of gold medals in the 9-ball and 10-ball pool events. Gilas Pilipinas men finished their latest SEA Games tournament with a silver medal after the loss to Indonesia. The loss ends a 13 consecutive gold streak. The Philippine team closed its SEA Games run in 4th place, and the host country, Vietnam, won the top spot for the Southeast Asian Games.
Team Pilipinas all set for SEA Games 2021

Team Pilipinas all set for SEA Games 2021

By Glad Jacinto • May 7, 2022
Six months after its original schedule, the 31st edition of the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 2021) is finally happening. The event officially starts on May 12 and until May 23.
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