The Olympic Council of Asia's flag was officially handed to Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino on Thursday night, marking the Philippines' hosting of the 7th Asian Beach Games in Cebu in 2028. The ceremony took place during the closing of the 6th edition of the ABG at the Yasha Park Ring Theater in Sanya, China.
Team Philippines Exceeds Expectations
Reflecting on the campaign, Tolentino praised the Filipino athletes for surpassing their previous performance. In Da Nang, Vietnam, in 2016, the Philippines secured two gold medals. This year, the team improved to three gold, four silver, and two bronze medals.
“We were able to surpass our last performance in the ABG. It also showed that we’re used to playing on beaches. We have lots of them in the Philippines,” Tolentino said. “We should maximize it. This would be a good preparation for our hosting in 2028. Again, we beat our previous record.”
Final Medal Standings
- China: 24 gold, 18 silver, 13 bronze
- Thailand: 10 gold, 9 silver, 8 bronze
- Iran: 9 gold, 1 silver, 0 bronze
- Vietnam: 3 gold, 5 silver, 5 bronze
- Philippines: 3 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze
Gold Medalists
The three gold medals came from jiu-jitsu athletes Annie Ramirez and Alexandria Luz Enriquez, and high jump standout Leonard Grospe.
Silver Medalists
The Gilas Pilipinas women's basketball team (Mikka Cacho, Reynalyn Ferrer, Kaye Pingol, Gabi Bade) secured silver, as did windsurfer Dhenver John Castillo, jiu-jitsu bet Emily Thomas, and the women's relay team (Jessica Rose Laurance, Kristina Marie Knott, Lianne Diana Pama, Shane Ponce).
Bronze Medalists
Jessica Rose Laurance won bronze in the 60-meter dash, and Kaila Napolis earned bronze in jiu-jitsu.
Backed by the POC and the Philippine Sports Commission under Chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio, Team Philippines finished fifth overall in the resort city. The country previously had a 2-4-15 medal haul in 2016 in Vietnam.
