Oct 3, 2026
MANILA, Philippines — Two-time Olympic medalist Carlo Paalam’s loss in the 2026 Asian Games gold-medal match hit close to home for Olympic boxer Eumir Marcial, who had suffered the same fate. Paalam had the chance to end the country’s 16-year gold medal drought, but he suffered a split-decision loss to Japan’s rising star Rui Yamaguchi, 3-2, in the men’s 52-kilogram (kg) division on Friday at the Nishio Gymnasium in Aichi, Japan. In the 2022 Hangzhou Games (held in 2023), Marcial also had a shot for gold in the men’s 80kg, but he settled for silver after bowing to China’s Tanglatihan Touhetaerbieke in a closely contested bout. The common denominator of the two Filipino Olympians’ fates is that Paalam lost to hometown bet Yamaguchi, and Marcial also lost to host China in the finals. Paalam expressed his frustration after the match against his Japanese foe, stating that the referee halted his momentum. "I'm so good, but the referee again. I don't know, not a good decision. I don’t know about the decision of the referee; he was paying attention so much to me,” Paalam told the media in Filipino via the Philippine Olympic Committee right after stepping out of the ring. “If the momentum is on my side, he stops me. The referee looks like he has a magnifying glass on me,” he added. Marcial then posted on his Facebook account, recalling his 2023 Asian Games stint. “Way back at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, I also felt that I was robbed in the finals. I thought I had won the fight and would bring home the gold for the Philippines in Asian Games boxing after 13 years,” he wrote. “We lost in the finals against the host country. What just happened is not new.” But Marcial said that whatever happens, one should move forward. “Whatever the decision, we need to accept it, move forward to the next fight, and continue chasing our dream. Congratulations, tol (brother). Salute.” Marcial skipped the 2026 Asian Games due to a tight schedule since he just had a professional boxing match in the United States, knocking out American Omar Ulises Huerta. The Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP) and Marcial had a joint decision to skip the Japan Games since rushing back to amateur format after his professional bout could pose an unnecessary physical and health risk.
MANILA, Philippines — Alexandria Luz Enriquez fell short in her gold medal bid after bowing to Orapa Senatham of Thailand in a highly contested bout in the women’s under-63 kilogram clash finals on Saturday at the Aichi Budokan in Aichi, Japan. Despite a 0 score card, the Thai won over the Filipina as she scored an advantage for a near-pass or near-sweep. Senatham almost held Enriquez down, but she rolled over and scrambled out before getting a point. In jiu-jitsu, the player should hold his opponent down for at least three seconds to earn a point from the judges.
Jiu jitsu"s Alexandria Enriquez bagged the Philippines" ninth silver medal in the 2026 Asian Games on Saturday in Japan.
The Philippines will look to add more medals as the 2026 Asian Games nears its official closing.
The Alas Pilipinas Men claimed 13th place after Kyrgyzstan confirmed its non-participation in their scheduled classification round match.
Still basking in the glow of Group Three glory on Thursday, David Eustace is keen to continue his momentum with a strong team of eight runners at Sha Tin on Sunday. The British trainer claimed his second Group Three success in Hong Kong when Colourful King cruised to victory in the National Day Cup (1,000m) under Zac Purton. Bidding to add to that success, Eustace is confident in his dirt representatives on the mixed 11-race card, which include Loch Tay and Definitive in the feature Class Two...
Taekwondo"s Jeus Yape was named the flag bearer of Team Philippines for the closing ceremony of the 2026 Asian Games on Sunday.
Siobhan Haughey called “pressure a privilege” on her way to adding yet more Asian Games gold to an already glittering resume – anyone watching Coleman Wong Chak-lam win his historic men’s singles title on Saturday might have been left wondering if he even knows what pressure is. The Hongkonger needed just one chance to wrap up a straight sets victory over China’s Wu Yibing, and for all the world looked as though he was just firing down aces on the practice court, and not on the verge of doing...
MANILA, Philippines — Taekwondo gold medalist Jeus Gabriel Derick Yape will bear the flag for a proud Team Philippines during the parade of athletes in Sunday’s closing ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games. “He’s deserving for that honor,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino on the eve Saturday of the closing ceremony set for 5 p.m. (Manila time) also at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium, where the hosts opened the games two weeks ago. “It will be a recognition not only for Jeus but also for taekwondo, which finally won its first Asian Games gold medal since 1994, when the sport became a medal event in the games,” Tolentino added. Yape topped the mixed virtual taekwondo—an open gender event that combines the combat sports with virtual reality and motion-tracking technology—last Friday to highlight a best-ever 1-3-1 gold-silver-bronze haul by the Filipino jins. He also clinched bronze in men’s individual poomsae. Also joining the closing ceremony are silver medalist Juliana Mykhail Candelaria, Tachiana Keizha Mangin and Kurt Barbosa of taekwondo and Carlo Paalam of boxing. Paris Olympics boxing bronze medalist Aira Villegas and weightlifting world junior champion Albert Ian de los Santos were the flag bearers during the September 19 opening ceremony. TMT
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine men’s national volleyball team Alas Pilipinas secured a 13th-place finish at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, following a forfeit by Kyrgyzstan. Coming off a strong 3-1 victory (25-19, 25-15, 23-25, 25-17) over Uzbekistan in Friday's classification match, Alas Pilipinas was scheduled to face Kyrgyzstan at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Kyrgyzstan had also won its Friday match, defeating Hong Kong 3-1 (13-25, 26-24, 27-25, 25-23). However, the Asian Games official website announced that the match would no longer take place after receiving official confirmation that Kyrgyzstan would not participate. Per official protocol, the match was declared a forfeit, awarding the Philippines an official victory recorded as 0–3 (0–25, 0–25, 0–25). Meanwhile, host country Japan and Iran are set to battle for the gold medal in the tournament final on Saturday.
MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala is quickly turning the page after her gold-medal bid fell short at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, shifting her full attention to her upcoming return to the WTA Tour. The Filipina netter must swiftly move past her disappointing campaign as she prepares to compete in the Wuhan Open in China from October 12 to 18, followed immediately by the Ningbo Open, also in China, from October 19 to 25. “I’m going to Wuhan and continue the Tour,” Eala said after her impressive run was halted in the semifinals. Eala suffered a tough 6-3, 3-6, 2-6 defeat against China’s Wang Xiyu, settling for the bronze medal. Despite the setback, she expressed deep gratitude to those who supported her, emphasizing that she gave her absolute all on the court against her Chinese opponent. Reflecting on her stint, Eala remains positive about the experience, highlighting the valuable lessons learned and the specific areas of her game she plans to refine moving forward. “Happy that I was able to have this experience,” she shared. The exit was particularly heartbreaking as Eala entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed and highest-ranked player, making her a strong favorite for the championship. Furthermore, she opted to skip the WTA 1000 Beijing Open—a mandatory WTA event—putting her at risk of penalties. However, Eala has no regrets about her decision, holding her head high over the privilege of representing the Philippines in a prestigious event held only once every four years. With her national duty complete, her sights are now set entirely on her upcoming professional schedule on the WTA Tour. TMT
