By Sam Yu
MANILA — Team Philippines has gone beyond its overall medal production from the 2023 Asian Games after Alexandria Enriquez added a silver in jiu-jitsu, raising the country’s haul to 29 medals with the Aichi-Nagoya Games heading into their final day.
Enriquez finished runner-up in the women’s 63-kilogram division, losing to Thailand’s Orapa Senatham in the gold-medal bout.
The result gave the Philippines a current tally of four golds, nine silvers and 16 bronzes, a significant improvement from its showing in Hangzhou three years ago.
The Philippine delegation won 18 medals in Hangzhou—four golds, two silvers and 12 bronzes.
While the country has equaled its four-gold output, its silver haul has more than quadrupled while its bronze collection has also increased, producing an 11-medal improvement overall.
Jeus Gabriel Yape provided the Philippines with its fourth gold in Nagoya after ruling the mixed individual virtual taekwondo competition.
He joined Carlos Yulo and EJ Obiena as members of the Philippine delegation who captured gold medals in Japan. Yulo delivered two gymnastics golds, while Obiena successfully defended his pole vault title with an Asian Games-record leap of 5.91 meters.
The Philippines also collected medals in boxing, jiu-jitsu, archery, weightlifting, athletics, sepak takraw, beach volleyball, taekwondo, karate and soft tennis, among other events.
The Blu Girls, however, ended their campaign without a medal after suffering a 12-2 loss to Chinese Taipei in the bronze-medal match.
The fourth-place finish continued the Philippines’ run of similar results in the last three Asian Games.
With the final competitions still to be completed, Team PH has already secured a 29-medal haul—well ahead of its 18-medal performance in Hangzhou.