Going 4 the Glory: Philippines Secures 4 Gold Medals at the 19th Asiad

The Philippines had a historic run at the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8, bringing home four gold, two silver, and twelve bronze medals.

Led by power forward Justin Brownlee, Gilas Pilipinas made history after emerging victorious in the gold medal match against Jordan, 70-60, ending the Philippines’ 61-year gold medal drought in basketball and adding the fourth gold to the Philippines' medal roster at the 19th Asian Games on October 6.

Center Ange Kouame remarked with glee, “We knew the team needed that win to get the job done. Everyone came together and that was a great team effort. It means a lot after all these years, and that's bigger than all of us."

Annie Ramirez added the second gold medal for jiu-jitsu competing in the Women's 57kg division.   Earlier, Margarita “Meggie” Ochoa who overcame anxiety, fever and pain to power through to the Women’s 48kg division had won jiu-jitsu’s first gold.

Never failing to make the nation proud, Ernest John “EJ” Obiena gave the Philippines its first gold medal for the men’s pole vault,  snatching the Asian Games record with a 5.9-meter clearance, surpassing the previous record held by Japanese vaulter Seito Yamamoto at 5.7 meters. 

Ranked no. 2 in the world, Obiena’s Asiad performance awarded him the chance to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

The Philippines earned a total of 18 medals from different sports. These included one silver and three bronzes for wushu, a silver in boxing, a bronze in cycling BMX racing, a bronze in jiu-jitsu, a bronze in karate, two bronzes in sepak takraw, a bronze in taekwondo, two bronzes in tennis, and a bronze in weightlifting. This achievement put the Philippines in 16th  place out of 41 competing nations. 

With their sights set on competing in the Paris 2024 Olympics, multiple notable athletes continue to position themselves to secure their spots. Among these athletes are tennis star Alex Eala and boxer Eumir Marcial, who garnered bronze and silver respectively in the 19th Asiad.  

Not only do Filipino athletes continue to display finesse and skill in whatever sport they pursue, but their passion never fails to inspire and unite their fellow countrymen.  This was perfectly shared by 27-year-old EJ Obiena on Twitter, “I have long believed that there is more to pole vaulting than the sport itself.  There is more to basketball than the game itself.  Sport transcends sport and can be a nation-building tool.”