Obiena’s Asiad gold, Bossong and Tolentino’s bronzes boost athletics team’s confidence

MANILA — The Philippine athletics team had a confidence-boosting campaign at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026.

The athletics squad, bannered by pole vault star EJ Obiena, won a gold medal as well as two bronzes in the continental meet, and is poised to compete further in international competitions as the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) ramps up its investment in development programs.

As Obiena defended his Asiad title, Victoria Bossong and John Cabang Tolentino also added to the medal haul with podium finishes in the women’s 800 meters and in the men’s 110m hurdles, respectively.

“We are no longer skeptical to compete at a high level because we have already gained confidence in our capabilities,” PATAFA president Terry Capistrano said.

“The future is getting brighter. We already have a number of potential stars, and some of them have already stepped up to the challenge.”

Obiena, Bossong, and Tolentino’s efforts helped the country surpass its medal output in athletics from the Hangzhou Games in 2023, where the Philippines settled for a single gold.

With new talents emerging — among them are Naomi Cesar, the 800m gold medalist at the 2025 Bangkok SEA Games, fellow SEA Games champion Hussein Lorana, and Pi Durden Wangkay, who topped the 200m at the Asian Youth Games — the future is brighter for the athletics team with these medal prospects.

“Satisfied? No, not quite. While this is the best showing since 1982, we really think we could have done better. We’re hoping to see improvement in every competition,” Capistrano said.

“Next year will mark the start of Olympic qualifying and the SEA Games. I’m confident Bossong will be formidable there,” he added.