THE Asian Games 2022 was postponed to 2023 because of the rising COVID-19 cases in Shanghai, China which was only two hours away from the host city Hangzhou. Despite this, the Asian Games 2022 was a large success with the Philippines having a strong performance in the quadrennial showcase held from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8, 2023. With about 12,000 athletes from 45 countries competing for nearly 500 gold medals across 40 sports, the Philippines bagged 18 medals, including four gold, two silver, and 12 bronze, finishing 17th overall at the end of the continental showpiece. Gold medalists include Gilas Pilipinas for basketball (men’s 5-on-5), EJ Obiena for men’s pole vault, Meggie Ochoa and Annie Ramirez for women’s jiu-jitsu.

Shooting their Shot

The Philippines secured the gold for the first time, ending their 61-year drought, when Gilas Pilipinas defeated Jordan with a score of 70-60 in the championship game last Oct. 7. The players in Gilas Pilipinas are renowned for their tenacity and will to succeed despite difficulties. Although the team had a rough start following Gilas' World Cup exit because of Chot Reyes’ abrupt resignation, they were left with Tim Cone as the team's reluctant head coach. The team assembled quickly following the FIBA World Cup and endured several excruciating days of waiting for a ruling regarding the eligibility of a few players. The 12 players who eventually made it to Hangzhou were decided upon only a few days before the start of the Games. 

Setting a Record

In just three jumps, EJ Obiena broke the Asian Games record and secured the gold medal last Sept. 30. He broke the record with a flawless vault at 5.75 meters, then surpassed it once more, effortlessly clearing 5.90 meters in just a single attempt. He shattered Japan’s Yamamoto Seito’s 5.70-m mark at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. 

Obiena had an incredible season, winning gold in the Asian Athletics Championships in July and the Southeast Asian Games in May. After finishing behind world record holder Mondo Duplantis, he cleared six meters to place second at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last August. Additionally, on Sept. 17, he came second to Duplantis in the Diamond League finals of the Prefontaine Classic. Obiena banked a ₱1 million check from the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Grappling Greatness

Meggie Ochoa, a two-time world champion who was running a high fever for three days, downed Balqees Abdulla of the United Arab Emirates, finally winning the Philippines its second gold medal in the -48kg final last Oct. 5. Annie Ramirez, a fellow jiu-jitsu contestant and a past contender for the Asian Games in 2018, recovered from her previous loss and acquired the third gold medal on Oct. 6 for Team Philippines in the jiu-jitsu division. She banked ₱1 million in incentives from the Philippine Olympic Committee.

The Filipino athletes who participated in this year’s Asian Games faced multiple challenges yet they managed to push through and bring home the gold for the Philippines. With the next season of the Asian Games being held in the Aichi Prefecture, Japan, in 2026, more athletes are eager to earn more medals for the Philippines.