2024 Yearender: Philippine sports soars to greater heights
MANILA, Philippines — Back in 2023, the Philippines saw numerous historic sports moments.
So many, that it could be difficult to think that the country could top it.
Filipino athletes, though, turned it up a notch in 2024 with literally the best sporting year.
Let’s take a look back at the year that was.
Olympic golden boy
Is there any doubt on what was the biggest sports story for the Philippines this year?
It took the Philippines 97 years before it finally won an Olympic gold medal. Since 1924, the first time the country competed in the Summer Games, only Hidilyn Diaz won a gold medal in weightlifting back in 2021.
This year, though, "Lupang Hinirang" was played twice in a span of 24 hours at the quadrennial meet.
Carlos Yulo brought home not one but two gold medals in the Paris Olympics after emotional performances.
The 24-year-old dynamo razzled and dazzled in the floor exercise and bagged the gold medal with a score of 15.000.
And in the vault event less than 24 hours later, Yulo became visibly more comfortable and loose as he showcased his gymnastic prowess and dominating flair to win the Philippines’ second gold medal.
Yulo completed his redemption tour after falling flat in Tokyo three years prior, as well as personal issues the past few years.
This is the first time the Philippines scooped up two gold medals from the Olympics. And, by the looks of it, Yulo is keen on continuing his golden run in 2028 edition of the Games in Los Angeles.
Welcome to the Nesthy Pete-show
In the boxing ring, Nesthy Petecio also made history.
The 32-year-old slugger, who won a silver medal in Tokyo back in 2021, etched her name in the history books after becoming the first Filipino boxer to win multiple medals in the Olympics.
Only four Filipinos have won multiple medals in the Olympics — Yulo, swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso (1928 and 1932,) Diaz (2016 and 2020) — and Petecio, who did so in a male-dominated sport.
And despite her age, the pride of Davao del Sur has set her sights to 2028 as she declared: “Walang hinto hangga’t walang ginto.”
Surprise, surprise
But perhaps the biggest surprise for the Philippine contingent in the Paris Olympics is Aira Villegas.
The 29-year-old Villegas brought home the bronze medal in the women’s 50kg boxing after a spirited run.
Ultimately, though, she fell in the semifinals against Turkiye’s Buse Naz Cakiroglu.
But after the bronze-medal finish, she is aiming for more.
The Philippines brought home a total of two gold and two bronze medals in the Olympics, good for 37th place.
While the other 19 Filipinos in Paris were unable to bag medals, golfer Bianca Pagdanganan and pole vault’s EJ Obiena came close to the podium but finished in fourth place of their respective competitions.
Fencer Sam Catantan and rower Joanie Delgaco also had historic runs in Paris. The former was the first Filipina to compete in fencing, while the latter was the first Philippine representative for rowing.
Gilas, indeed
Speaking of the Olympics, the Philippine men’s basketball team came close to making it to Paris.
Gilas Pilipinas faced an uphill battle in its quest for an Olympic berth. After failing to secure an outright slot to Paris through the FIBA World Cup, the Philippines had to go through the Olympic Qualifying Tournament against Latvia and Georgia, both strong squads. History, likewise, was not on the side of the Philippines as it has not beaten a European team officially in six decades.
But of course, Tim Cone and the rest of the Philippines are known as history snappers, as they did in last year’s Asian Games, where they snapped a 61-year gold-medal dry spell in basketball.
Against Latvia in Riga, Gilas shocked the home team in wire-to-wire fashion, 89-80. They, then, lost a close one against Georgia, 96-94, before seeing their road end against Brazil, 71-60.
Still, the Philippines seems to be headed in the right direction as they dominated the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers and secured a spot in the Jeddah meet next year.
Hall of Pacman
Arguably the best athlete the Philippines has ever produced, Manny Pacquiao has been elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame set for next year.
Pacquiao, a boxer-turned-senator, is the only fighter to win world titles in eight different weight divisions.
The 45-year-old, who has compiled a professional boxing record of 62-8-2, is set to be inducted in June next year in Canastota, New York.
Pacquiao earlier voiced the possibility of him competing in the Olympics, but he was barred from joining because of his age.
Collegends
Over at the local collegiate hoops scene, last year’s runners-up climbed back to the top of the food chain.
It took the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons decades to win their second championship, and another 36 years to win their third.
This season, they would not be denied.
After the emotional 2022 championship, UP is back on top once again after outlasting the La Salle Green Archers in three grueling games.
This is the Fighting Maroons’ second title in four years, and with the way their roster is shaped (with the expected and reported additions), the dominance may continue in the near future despite JD Cagulangan using up his playing years, as well the departure of one-and-done big man Quentin Millora-Brown.
For their part, the National University Lady Bulldogs are also back in their winning ways after grinding out two wins against rivals University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigresses.
UST, last season, snapped seven straight championships by NU, but the Lady Bulldogs were clearly on a mission right from the get-go.
They won all 14 elimination games and forced a stepladder route to the championship. Their first loss of the season came at the hands of the Tigresses in Game 2 of the Finals, but they were simply too good to be denied this time around.
But the biggest story in the collegiate basketball world has to be the Mapua Cardinals.
After 33 years, Mapua finally hoisted another men’s basketball championship after sweeping the Benilde Blazers in NCAA Season 100.
Benilde had Most Valuable Player Allen Liwag in tow, but the Cardinals were just too much.
The last time Mapua won a title was back in 1991, when the Benny Cheng-led squad outlasted the San Beda Red Lions.
This time around, it was Clint Escamis, who led the team, as well as rookie Chris Hubilla, Lawrence Mangubat and Cyrus Cuenco.
Lakas ng Alas
Alas Pilipinas, the Philippine national volleyball team, had historic stretches both in the men’s and women’s divisions.
The women’s team nabbed a historic bronze medal in the AVC Challenge Cup, which the Philippines hosted. This is the first medal of the Philippines outside Southeast Asia.
The men’s team also claimed a historic bronze medal in the men’s Southeast Asia V.League, which was also hosted by the Philippines.
And with volleyball continuously increasing in popularity in the Philippines, we can expect a brighter future for the sport.
But, it is not just volleyball that has a bright year coming. Or just basketball. Or just boxing. Or just golf, gymnastics or pole vault.
With the SEA Games upcoming next year, the country’s athletes will continue to shine, shine, shine.
And shine, they will.
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