Philippine Olympic body preparing for stacked year

MANILA, Philippines — From Harbin in February to Chengdu in August and Bahrain in October before finally in Thailand in December, 2025 will be a busy year for Filipino athletes, according to Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.

“It’s a busy year marked with major international competitions,” said Tolentino after meeting his new Executive Board in the first major POC function of the year at the Hai Shin Lou Restaurant in Makati City on Tuesday.

Up in 2025 are the Ninth Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China, from February 7-14; 12th World  Games in Chengdu also in China from August 7-17, 3rd Asian Youth Olympics Games from October 22-31 in Bahrain; and the 33rd Southeast Asian Games Thailand is hosting in Chonburi, Songkhla, and Thailand from December 9-20.

“We’re aiming to send as many capable and qualified athletes as possible to these games and we’re targeting the best possible results,” added Tolentino, who earlier this year pronounced that the Harbin Games will be the springboard for the country’s quest for its first Winter Olympics medal.

Joining Tolentino in the meeting were first vice president Al Panlilio (basketball), treasurer Dr. Jose Raul Canlas (surfing) and auditor Donaldo Caringal (volleyball) and board members Leonora Escollante (canoe-kayak), Alvin Aguilar (wrestling), Ferdinand Agustin (jiu-jitsu,), Alexander Sulit (judo), Leah Gonzales (fencing) and Jessie Lacuna (Athletes Commission).

International Olympic Committee Representative to the Philippines Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski attended the meeting, while second vice president Richard Gomez (modern pentathlon) couldn’t make it in time from Ormoc City, which preceded the POC’s first general assembly of the year — and of the newly elected POC officials — next week.

The Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, according to Tolentino who attended the meeting nursing the flu, were rescheduled for early 2026 by host Riyadh.

The Executive Board reorganized key functions and committees, including Atty. Wharton Chan, who remained as secretary-general, Atty. Marcus Andaya (legal), Atty. Billie Sumagui (membership), Atty. Alberto Agra (arbitration), Michael Vargas (international affairs), Escollante (gender equality), Canlas (medical and anti-doping), Sulit (safe sports) and Marcus Jarwin Manalo (technical).

Before the meeting, the board paused for a moment of prayer for former secretary-general Atty. Edwin Gastanes, who passed away last month.