It was a great 2024 for the Philippines in sports, with the country’s individual athletes and national teams giving honor to the Pearl of the Orient. That being said, let’s take a look at some of the best and brightest moments in Philippine sports over the past 12 months:
Carlos Yulo Shines with Olympic Double Gold
Winning the gold medal in the Paris Olympics was so nice Carlos Yulo had to do it twice. Denied of Olympic glory in the Tokyo Games in 2021, the Filipino gymnast made sure there were no heartbreaks this time, putting together a masterful routine to top the men’s floor exercise and bag the Philippines’ first gold in the 32nd Olympiad held in Paris, France.
A day later, Yulo bagged a second gold, this time at the vault. The gymnastics wunderkind from Manila went all out right in his very first turn, performing the extraordinarily difficult Ri Se Gwang to score 15.433. It proved to be the difference-maker as Yulo earned his golden double.
Nesthy Petecio, Aira Villegas Showcase the Filipina in Olympic Boxing
The fearless pair of Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas made sure the Philippines wasn’t getting shut out of a medal in boxing, with the two bagging bronze in the women’s featherweight and women’s flyweight, respectively. Petecio, of course, is known in boxing circles already, having already won silver in the Tokyo Games three years prior.
Villegas was a relative unknown, especially next to her bemedaled teammates Petecio Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial of the men’s team. But the Tacloban native quickly proved she’s no pushover, beating Morocco’s Yasmine Moutaqui and Algerioa’s Roumaysa Boualam—the third and second seeds of the division—before overcoming France’s Wassila Lkhadiri in the quarters. Top-ranked Buse Naz Cakiroglu of Turkey ended Villegas’ run, but it was certainly inspiring.
Gilas Pilipinas Excels in the World Stage
Gilas Pilipinas didn’t bag a medal this year. Neither did it win any tournament. But it excelled nonetheless, beating then sixth-ranked Latvia, 89-80, at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament held in Riga, Latvia on July 2024. It was the Philippines’ first victory over a European squad since 1960 and arguably its most impressive yet. Gilas went on to make the semis of that tournament, ultimately falling to world no. 12 Brazil, 71-60, in a game the Philippines was still leading early in the third.
The Tim Cone-mentored five also swept its four games in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers. One of those wins was historic as well, with Gilas beating Asia-Oceania nemesis and world no. 22 New Zealand, 93-89, at home soil back in November—the team’s first against the Tall Blacks in five tries.
Manny Pacquiao Makes it to the Boxing Hall of Fame
That Manny Pacquiao was going to be elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame was a no-brainer. That he was finally voted in this December was a fitting capstone to what has been a truly remarkable career that began in 1995. Pacquiao, who won championships in eight different divisions, headlines the 2025 class that includes former multiple-time champs Michael Nunn and Vinny Paz.
Others elected to the Class of 2025 were former women’s champions Yessica Chavez, Anne Sophie Mathis, and Mary Jo Sanders; referees Kenny Bayless and Harry Gibbs; cut man Al Gavin; broadcaster Randy Gordon and HBO producer Ross Greenburg (Observer category); Cathy “Cat” Davis (women’s trailblazer); Rodrigo Valdez (old-timer); and Owen Swift (pioneer)
Philippine Pool Sees a Renaissance
Billiards was once upon a time one of the three Bs of Philippine sports, along with basketball and boxing, but has lost some of its luster in recent years. This 2024, pool has seen a renaissance of sorts, with Carlo Biado and Rubilen Amit showing the world Pinoys still rule the cue.
Biado in May 2024 won the Predator WPA Men’s World 10-ball championship in Las Vegas to add to his 9-ball crown in 2017 and the 2021 US Open. Amit, on the other hand, bagged the women’s 9-ball title after winning the WPA Women’s World Nine-ball Championships in Hamilton, New Zealand in September 2024—becoming the first Filipina to achieve the feat.
This 2024 also saw the inaugural Reyes Cup, a team-based competition held in honor of the great Efren “Bata” Reyes, who is also widely regarded as the GOAT of pool. Team Asia, captained by Reyes himself and bannered by Filipino cue artist Johann Chua, fittingly won the first-ever edition of the cup.
Meralco Bolts Get Breakthrough Title
In local hoops, the Meralco Bolts finally won its first-ever title in the PBA. The Bolts, who first entered the league in 2010 had been in the Finals four previous times but could never quite win it all, falling short against the Justin Brownlee-led Barangay Ginebra San Miguel every single time.
Meralco, though, would get its breakthrough early in 2024, beating no less than the mighty San Miguel Beermen in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals to win the league’s most coveted title. The Bolts also won in dramatic fashion, taking the title in Game 6 on a game-winning jumper from franchise player Chris Newsome after a game-tying triple from eight-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo.
Philippine Men’s National Football Team Nets Historic Win
The Philippine Men’s National Football Team (PMNFT) hasn’t had much success in recent years, but 2024 showed there’s reason for optimism. The squad’s bronze finish at the 2024 King’s Cup held in Songkhla, Thailand in October proved as much, with the Philippines blanking Tajikistan, 3-0, to give newly installed head coach Albert Capellas his first taste of success.
The PMNFT ended the year in style as well, beating Southeast Asian football powerhouse Thailand, 2-1, in the semifinals of the ASEAN Championship. It was the Philippines’ first triumph over Thailand since 2007 and might very well be a sign that the PMNFT is on its way to bigger, better things ahead.
EJ Obiena, Bianca Pagdanganan, Alex Eala Shine in Their Own Ways
Injuries derailed Obiena in 2024 after a banner 2023 when he soared to no. 2 in the men’s world rankings in pole vault. Despite his struggles, Obiena was just a few centimeters shy of bagging a bronze in the Paris Olympics. He also won gold medals at the USA Track and Field Los Angeles Grand Prix, the Irena Szewińska Memorial, and the Memorial Czeslawa Cybulskiego.
Eala is yet to really break through, but her 2024 was encouraging as she won titles in singles and doubles at the Open Araba en Femenino and climbed to as high as 143 at the WTA Women’s Rankings. Still just 19, the ever-improving Eala looks primed for a breakout in 2025.
Bustamante is blazing a trail in motorsports, carrying the Philippine flag on race tracks around Europe, including in Italy, Spain, and the UK. Like Eala, Bustamante is yet to fully break through in her field, but she is slowly but surely making a name for herself and representing the Filipina.
Other Notables
Other noteworthy moments in Philippine sports in 2024 include:
- The Philippines beat Hong Kong, 9-2, to win the East Asia Baseball Cup for a fifth straight time.
- Melvin Jerusalem beat Yudai Shigeoka in March to win the WBC minimumweight belt.
- Gabriel “Flash” Elorde was posthumously inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in April.
- Alas Pilipinas Women’s bags the bronze at the 2024 Asian Women’s Volleyball Challenge Cup in May to give Philippine volleyball its first podium finish in an Asian-level championship.
