Golden year: 5 sports stories that brought out true Filipino pride in 2024

December 22, 2024 , 01:33 PM

(December 22, 2024) – Unfulfilled promises by administration after administration have persistently haunted Filipino athletes. They also have to deal with gender discrimination, problematic family ties, and other toxicities that don’t matter in sports.

While we still have a long way to go as a nation, Filipino athletes didn’t let the noise distract them this 2024. Navigating our complicated—and sometimes unjustifiable—social fabric, they succeeded in producing results bigger than trophies or medals. They defined yet again what genuine Pinoy pride is.

Here are five sports moments this year that made us proud to be Filipino.

5. EJ Obiena’s rollercoaster ride

The campaign of pole vaulter EJ Obiena in the 2024 Paris Olympics was a close-but-not-quite story. Considered among the country’s strongest medal bets, he settled for fourth place. He described the experience as “brutal” and tearfully apologized for failing to live up to expectations.

The nation felt bad for him. Obiena stuck with the Philippines despite his previous rift with the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association and getting enticing offers from other countries. He represented the Philippines internationally and achieved numerous successes. Plus, he is the only Asian member of the exclusive six-meter club.

Nagpasalamat si world no. 2 Pinoy pole vaulter EJ Obiena sa mga sumuporta sa kaniya matapos ang kampanya niya sa #OlympicGames #Paris2024. Ibinahagi rin ni Obiena sa kaniyang post na balik-training na siya. pic.twitter.com/05MMXSEbdp
— News5 (@News5PH) August 13, 2024

A medal is proof of one’s greatness in sports. But on rare occasions, like Obiena’s case, he already did more than enough. He did not owe us an apology. His advocacy to bring Philippine pole vault to greater heights by helping the grassroots program was an invaluable contribution in 2024.

He also vowed to return: “You’ll see more of me, and the Philippine flag will be raised on a global scale.”

4. Gilas Pilipinas upsets Latvia

“Sulit ang puyat” is an understatement to describe the joy of staying up late to watch Gilas Pilipinas stun Latvia, world no. 6 at that time, in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga in July. Coach Tim Cone and his wards earned the Philippines’ first win against a European side since the 1960 Rome Olympics.

ALSO READ: Lesson for Latvia: Don’t sleep on Gilas Pilipinas

For Cone, who masterminded the massive upset, he said they came to Latvia to win the whole thing. While they failed to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the monumental triumph was a great consolation prize.

More so, the unbelievable victory validated the Filipinos’ burning passion for basketball. No more “learning experience.” It’s a victory over a powerhouse squad. A win for the ages beyond our wildest dreams.

3. Alas Pilipinas’ golden bronze

Volleyball is a popular sport in the Philippines. Success, however, had eluded the country at the international level until Alas Pilipinas came to the scene. Under the guidance of Brazilian coach Jorge de Brito, the Filipina spikers snagged a historic bronze medal in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Challenge Cup for Women in August.

WELL DONE, ALAS PILIPINAS!

Nakuha ng #AlasPilipinas ang bronze medal sa 2024 #AVCChallengeCup for Women matapos talunin ang Australia sa straight sets, 25-23, 25-15, 25-7. #News5 pic.twitter.com/rXreIE1BJL
— News5 (@News5PH) May 29, 2024

It was the country’s first-ever podium finish in any AVC tournament since joining the confederation in 1961. Nearly 65 years in the making, the bronze glittered like gold. Also, it was nice to see warring fans of Premier Volleyball League clubs or collegiate teams unite for the motherland.

While a plethora of work remains for continued success, the joy of winning can’t be taken away from the Philippines. Alas Pilipinas’ third-place finish served as a beacon of hope. It could only make the national squad strive harder.

2. Filipino cue artists keep winning tradition

For decades now, Efren “Bata” Reyes and billiards have been synonymous with each other. Reyes paved the way for generations of world-class cue artists from the Philippines, continuing the country’s winning ways.

This 2024 was no different. Carlo Biado ruled the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) Predator World 10-Ball in March, while Rubilen Amit took home the WPA Women’s 9-Ball Championship in September. Biado finally ended his 10-ball curse, while Amit became the first Filipina 9-ball world titlist.

PAGBATI, CHAMP! 🇵🇭

Nasungkit ng Pinoy pool player na si Carlo Biado ang gintong medalya sa Predator WPA men’s world 10-ball championship 2024, March 3. #News5 pic.twitter.com/rLaxmjLhkN
— News5 (@News5PH) March 4, 2024

Reyes likewise had his fair share of success in 2024. The “Magician” led Team Asia to the championship in the inaugural Reyes Cup. Guided by Reyes, Filipinos Biado and Johann Chua, along with Chinese Taipei’s Ko Pin Yi, Singapore’s Aloysius Yapp, and Vietnam’s Duong Quoc Hoang defeated Team Europe. In his crowning event, the GOAT of billiards once again left his lasting magic.

Wherever they go, Filipino cue artists never forget to deliver. Lifting trophies, garnering applause, and raising the flag. Billiards is surely alive in the Philippines.

1. Carlos Yulo’s golden double

Carlos Yulo is 2024’s most searched male personality in the Philippines, according to Google. Most, if not all, just browsed the web to look for gossip about his private life. Some even imposed their self-righteousness about choosing a partner and how a son should treat his mother.

But instead of diving deeper into the negativity, we dwell on what truly matters: Yulo’s double gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics. With mesmerizing performances, the prodigious son of Malate ruled the floor exercise and vault events in gymnastics. Steering the country to its most successful campaign in the global sports conclave, he became an immortal figure in Philippine history.

@news5everywhere
#News5Talk | Naka-one-on-one interview ni News5 anchor Cheryl Cosim ang Pinoy gymnast na si Carlos Yulo matapos ang makasaysayang pagkapanalo niya ng dalawang gintong medalya sa #Paris2024 OlympicGames. Ibinahagi ni Yulo ang kaniyang naramdaman nang makita ang ama sa parada ng Pinoy Olympians, ang mensahe niya sa aspiring gymnasts, at ang kaniyang goal na lumaban sa #LosAngeles2028 Olympics. #News5 #NewsPH #BreakingNewsPH #SportsNewsPH
♬ original sound – News5 – News5

Yulo is us. More than a legend, an ordinary Filipino. He overcame the hardships and challenges of being an athlete from a third-world country. Let that sink in. Golden Boy, indeed.

Undoubtedly, 2024 is a shoo-in if there’s a list of the best years of Philippines sports.

(PM)

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