Digging for gold

Hopes are high that the Philippines will mark a golden surge in the coming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games but while the forecast is optimistic, expectations are tempered so as not to put added pressure on the athletes. In Asiad history, the Philippines has collected 71 golds in 19 editions since 1951. The richest harvest came with 14 golds in 1954 when Manila hosted for the first and only time. The Philippines has not brought home more than four golds in the last 15 editions or since 1962 when the haul was seven.

In the last two Asian Games, the Philippines bagged four golds each. In Jakarta, the golds were delivered by Yuka Saso in women’s individual golf, the women’s golf team made up of Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Go, skateboarder Margie Didal and weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz. In Hangzhou, the gold finishers were the men’s 5x5 basketball team, Annie Ramirez and Meggie Ochoa of jiu jitsu and pole vaulter EJ Obiena.

This year, POC president Bambol Tolentino and PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio are counting on several athletes to lead the gold rush. Ramirez and Obiena will be back. So will the men’s basketball team. Ochoa has retired from competition and passed on the torch to a platoon of gold prospects. Over 400 athletes will represent the country.

Here’s a list of outstanding contenders still in search of their first Asian Games gold.

Carlos Yulo, gymnastics. The two-time Paris Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion made his Asiad debut in 2018 but didn’t register a podium finish, placing fourth in vault, seventh in floor, eighth in all-around and failing to advance in pommel horse, rings, parallel bars and horizontal bars. Yulo, 26, skipped the next edition and will return for unfinished business in Nagoya.

Alex Eala, tennis. In the previous Asiad, she pocketed bronzes in women’s singles and mixed doubles with Casey Alcantara. Eala, 21, has since been on a roll and is now World No. 18. World No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan has nagging back issues and won’t compete in Nagoya. World No. 13 Naomi Osaka of Japan is a threat but it’s not sure if she’s participating. No matter whom she faces, Eala will be ready to go for gold.

Carlo Paalam, boxing. The Tokyo Olympic silver medalist will battle in his third Asian Games. In Jakarta, he lost a split 3-2 decision to India’s Amit Panghal in the 49kg semis and settled for bronze. In Hangzhou, he bowed to Uzbekistan’s Abdulmalik Khalokov on a 5-0 verdict in the 57kg quarters. Paalam, 28, will campaign in the 55kg division in Nagoya.

More top athletes eyeing their first Asian Games gold medal are listed in Sunday’s column.