NATS ready for Asiad war

MANILA, Philippines —  Exactly one month before the 2026 Asian Games, Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino declared Team Philippines ready to chase glory and set new milestones in the continental quadrennial meet.

Philippine sports is on a historic high with great breakthroughs in the last two Olympics, and Tolentino is confident that momentum will carry over to the Nagoya Asiad, which opens on Sept. 19.

With a contingent of over 400 athletes, Tolentino expects the Philippines to surpass its four-gold medal hauls in Jakarta-Palembang 2018 and Hangzhou 2023.

“I have high hopes we will have a bountiful harvest,” Tolentino said, citing gold medal prospects across multiple disciplines.

He identified gymnast Carlos Yulo, tennis ace Alex Eala, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, swimmer Kayla Sanchez, the jiu-jitsu team and the weightlifters as among the country’s brightest hopes.

“Yung basketball natin, defending champion, lalaban yan, although ang dami nilang hindi pinayagan,” Tolentino said.

“The boxers are always there. Sa athletics, meron pang mga nakatago dyan. At marami pang iba,” he added.

Tolentino is confident Team Philippines will better its Hangzhou performance, which was highlighted by gold medals from Gilas Pilipinas, Obiena, and jiu-jitsu standouts Meggie Ochoa and Annie Ramirez.

Surely among the lead guns in Nagoya will be Yulo, an Olympic and world champion out to complete his golden collection.

Yulo owns two golds from the 2024 Paris Olympics, three World Championship titles, 12 Asian Championship golds and nine SEA Games golds. The Asian Games gold, however, has eluded him.

He heads to Nagoya with unfinished business, spearheading the 14-strong Philippine gymnastics team that includes his younger brother Karl Eldrew, who is set for an Asian Games debut.

Joining them are artistic gymnasts Juancho Miguel Besana, Justine Ace de Leon, Zachary Cortins Nuñez, Levi Ruivivar, Kylee Kvamme, Chiara Dawn Andrew, Lauren Supnet and Haylee Garcia, rhythmic gymnasts Breanna Labadan and Jasmine Althea Ramilo, and trampoline specialists Jerry Ilano Jr. and Luvicar Janine Padilla.    – Joey Villar