By el Amigo
MANILA — Team Philippines is done celebrating Nagoya.
Now comes the hard part: turning a 29-medal Asian Games haul into a bigger, stronger Olympic campaign for Los Angeles in 2028.
The Philippine delegation returned from the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with four gold, nine silver and 16 bronze medals, giving the country the same number of championships it won in Hangzhou and a deep pool of athletes to build around for the next Olympic cycle.
POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said Olympic qualification must now become a national priority.
“Training, exposure, not only exposure, qualifying, let’s include all the qualifying slots,” Tolentino said during Monday night’s heroes’ welcome dinner at the Century Park Hotel in Malate, Manila.
“In short, that’s the focus, that’s the direction. That’s also the focus of the funding of the government,” he added.
Obiena is already preparing for another Olympic assault.
The two-time Olympian successfully defended his Asian Games pole vault title in Nagoya and sees the victory as a springboard toward Los Angeles.
“This is a comeback season for me, so for sure, moving forward, I’ll take this as a stepping stone,” Obiena said.
“There’s, I think, a lot of upsides for me for the coming years, so hopefully, come LA, it’s going to be fun, it’s going to be good,” he added.
Bossong has made her ambitions even clearer.
After taking bronze in the women’s 800 meters, the emerging track star said she is not content with merely reaching the Olympics.
“For some people, to dream is to be at the Olympics, and that’s really special. But for me, I don’t want just that. You know, I want to make the podium,” Bossong said.
Yulo remains the centerpiece of the country’s gymnastics program after winning two golds in Nagoya and already owning two Olympic championships. His younger brother Karl Eldrew is another potential addition to the Olympic team.
Tennis star Alex Eala, now ranked No. 18 in the world, also stands at the forefront of the next Olympic generation. Her Nagoya bronze adds to a growing international résumé, although she still needs to meet the applicable qualification requirements.
Amaya Paz-Cojuangco could also have a historic opportunity. Her silver-medal finish in compound archery at the Asian Games came as the discipline gained a place in the LA 2028 Olympic program through the mixed team event.
Delos Santos, Cabang Tolentino, Mangin and Barbosa are among the other Nagoya medalists who could figure prominently in the Olympic hunt, along with contenders from boxing, swimming, table tennis, weightlifting and other Olympic sports.
Yape’s gold in virtual taekwondo, however, will not translate into an LA 2028 Olympic campaign because the event is not included in the Games’ program.
The Philippines sent only 22 athletes in nine sports to Paris 2024.
Nagoya has given the country a larger talent base.
Now the objective is to qualify more athletes, compete for more medals and make the Philippine presence in Los Angeles far bigger than it was in Paris.
The Nagoya heroes have come home.
The LA campaign starts now.
ia/xf
