Philippines Wins 29 Asiad Medals, Best Haul in 60 Years

The Philippines celebrated its best Asian Games performance in 60 years after Filipino athletes captured 29 medals at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. The haul of four golds, nine silvers, and 16 bronzes marks the country's biggest medal count since 1966.

Double Olympic champion Carlos Yulo started the gold rush with victories in floor exercise and vault, his first Asian Games golds after a difficult debut in 2018. The 26-year-old gymnast now holds titles from every major competition, including the Olympics, World Championships, and Southeast Asian Games.

Pole vaulter EJ Obiena defended his Asian Games title with a record-breaking jump of 5.91 meters, securing the country's third gold despite rainy conditions. The Olympic medalist cleared the bar at 5.75 meters to clinch gold, then soared higher to break the Games record.

Taekwondo fighter Jeus Yape, 22, sealed the fourth gold in the new virtual taekwondo event, dominating opponents and losing only one round throughout the competition. His golden performance earned him the honor of carrying the Philippine flag at the closing ceremony.

The silver medals sparkled just as bright, with breakthrough performances across multiple sports. The women's 3x3 basketball team earned the Philippines' first-ever Asian Games medal in basketball, while 18-year-old Juliana Candelaria won silver in her continental debut in taekwondo.

The Ripple Effect

What makes this achievement special goes beyond the medal count. Filipino athletes won medals in 18 or 19 different sports, compared to just 11 sports at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou. This spread shows the growing strength of Philippine sports at the grassroots level.

Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Patrick Gregorio called the diversity of medal-winning sports "the big change" that matters most for developing athletics across the country. The medals came from traditional strengths like boxing and newer programs like mixed martial arts and jiu-jitsu.

Team Philippines finished 17th overall in the medal standings, with athletes coming heartbreakingly close to additional golds in finals across boxing, archery, and sepak takraw. Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham Tolentino celebrated the surge in silver and bronze medals, showing depth across the entire athletic program.

Sixty years after the country's previous best performance in Bangkok, this new generation of Filipino athletes has proven that consistent investment and development can transform national sports programs into regional powerhouses.