Digging for gold, Part 2

This is the second part of a series listing top Filipino athletes in search of their first Asian Games gold medal in Nagoya. Last Friday’s first part named Carlos Yulo, Alex Eala and Carlo Paalam.

Kayla Sanchez, swimming. She was born in Singapore and raised in Canada. Sanchez, 25, competed for Canada at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, claiming a silver in 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley. Then, she received clearance from the World Aquatics Federation to make a sporting nationality change to the Philippines, paving the way to represent the country at the 2022 Asian Games, 2024 Olympics and 2025 SEA Games. She didn’t podium in Hangzhou but brought home three SEA Games golds from Thailand. Now, she’s primed to make waves in Nagoya.

Eumir Marcial, boxing. It’s still not certain if Marcial, 30, will compete in Nagoya. His availability will depend on the outcome of his fight against Omar Huerta in Temecula, California, on Sept. 19. If the result is positive, Marcial will fly to Nagoya and make it in time for his 80kg fight on Sept. 23. Marcial, a Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist, bagged a bronze at the 2018 Asian Games and silver in Hangzhou. If ever, this will be Marcial’s third Asiad appearance.

Elreen Ando, weightlifting. The two-time Olympian took a bronze in Hangzhou at 64kg and will drop down to 61kg in Nagoya. Ando, 27, is a two-time SEA Games gold medalist at 59kg and 63kg. A bronze medalist in clear and jerk at the 2025 World Championships, Ando is ready to make her move for gold in her third Asian Games.

Kim Custodio, jiu jitsu. The four-time world champion and 2025 SEA Games gold medalist is celebrating her Asian Games debut in Nagoya with high hopes of joining teammate Annie Ramirez on the podium. Ramirez struck gold in the previous Asiad and is aiming for another mint. Custodio, 39, is moving from 45kg to 48kg and looking forward to a golden finish.

Nesthy Petecio, boxing. The Tokyo Olympic silver and Paris Olympic bronze medalist has yet to hit paydirt in the Asiad after losing in the quarters in 2014 then dropping out in the Round of 16 in 2018 and 2022. This is Petecio’s fourth Asian Games where she has never collected a medal. Now 34, this may be her last chance to crack the barrier. The two-time SEA Games gold medalist and 2019 world champion will go for broke in Nagoya where her brother Norlan is also on the boxing team in the 70kg class.

Agatha Wong, wushu. A six-time SEA Games gold medalist, Wong took silvers at the 2015 and 2023 World Championships and a bronze in last year’s edition. She’s a taolu (forms) specialist and in her first Asiad in 2018, pocketed a bronze. In Hangzhou, Wong finished fifth in taijiquan/taijijian. Wong, 28, joined the national team in training in China to prepare for Nagoya and returned home last week. On her third Asian Games, she’s bidding to become the first Filipina wushu gold medalist since the sport was introduced in the conclave in 1990.

Aira Villegas, boxing. She was a surprise bronze medalist at the 2024 Olympics, defeating fighters from Morocco, Algeria and France before bowing to Buse Naz Cakiroglu of Turkey in the semis. Villegas, 31, has never won gold in the SEA Games and in the last Asian Games, lost in the Round of 32 in her only bout. She’s shooting for her first Asiad medal in Nagoya and if she can reprise her surprise in Paris, a breakthrough may be in the offing.