YOG bet Palles shows potential

DAKAR — Hilarion Palles III didn’t make the final of the men’s all-around of gymnastics at the Dakar 2026 YOG, but gained enormous experience as he starts carving a career in a sport that the Philippines is now famous for globally.

“I had the best exposure I could ever get from these games and I got to meet some of the best gymnasts in the world my age, many of them even became my friends,” said Palles after the qualification rounds Saturday at the Dalar Exhibition Center in Diamniadio.

Palles is one of only two Filipino gymnasts – the other is Tchelzy Maayo who vied in the women’s qualification on Sunday afternoon – on Team Philippines sent here by the Philippine Olympic Committee and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission.

Palles and Maayo could only compete in one of only two medal events of gymnastics here because the Philippines doesn’t have the numbers to vie in the team event, but the 16-year-old multi-winner in the Palarong Pambansa showed potentials worthy of following the footsteps of double Olympic and Asian Games gold medalist Carlos Yulo and Asian Games bronze medalist Eldrew Yulo.

“He’s only trained seriously on the elite level the past nine months, and he already showed major improvements,” said Reyland Capellan, who’s coaching the two young athletes here alongside Japanese Kazutaka Hakamada, of Palles, who’s competing out of Pasig City.

Palles started gymnastics at the iconic Club Gymnastica made famous by gymnastics and taekwondo icon Bea Lucero Lhuillier and displayed championship skills in the Palaro.

He was spotted by the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines and is now under Capellan and Yulo’s former mentor, Munehiro Kugimiya.