It was heartbreak for the Philippines on the morning of the Asian Youth Games opening ceremony, as triathlete Euan Arrow Ramos crashed out of contention on Thursday, October 23, at Sofitel Bahrain.

The 15-year-old suffered multiple scratches and bruises, including injuries to his right arm and leg, after losing control when his wheel clipped a cateye on a sharp turn in the 39-man triathlon field. Ramos had emerged from the water in ninth place and was closing in on the lead pack during the bike stage when the incident occurred. He was later brought to Bahrain Defense Force Hospital for treatment.

Course adjustments after multiple mishaps

The course had to be slightly altered after several athletes encountered similar issues, prompting officials to move cones for safety. Triathlon Association of the Philippines secretary general Ting Joson, however, said the incident was simply unfortunate.

“It was unfortunate because malakas si Arrow and the boys prepared well. It’s unfortunate na may cat eye dun,” Joson said. “Kahit na sabihin mong they changed the course on the fly, prerogative ng officials yun if they feel this is the safer way to do it.”

Joson added that technical officials had to make quick decisions to prevent further accidents. “As a technical official, nakita na may ganung accident and you can avoid that from happening again, you have to make those calls,” he said.

Further compounding the Philippines’ woes was the disqualification of Peter Sancho del Rosario, who initially placed 12th but was penalized after removing his headgear before racking his bike at the second transition.

China’s Li Yansong won the event in 27 minutes flat, followed by Kazakhstan’s Ramazan Ainegov (27:11) and Korea’s Kang Woohyeon (27:13).

Mesmerizing opening rites captivate athletes

Despite the early setbacks, the Philippines proudly joined the grand opening ceremony at Exhibition World Bahrain on Wednesday night. Volleyball standout Harlyn Serneche and boxer Leo Mhar Lobrido served as flag bearers for the national delegation.

Bahrain opened the Games with a dazzling multimedia presentation, featuring powerful performances from local artists and stunning lighting displays that highlighted the unity of the 45 participating nations.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino lauded the host nation for its organization and efficiency. “Ang galing ng Bahrain. Magaling ang Bahrain in spite of short preparation,” Tolentino said, noting that Bahrain accepted hosting duties only last December after Uzbekistan withdrew due to incomplete facilities.

Uzbekistan had requested a one-year postponement, but the Olympic Council of Asia declined since the Asian Youth Games also serve as qualifiers for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal. “Dapat ito Uzbek. Uzbek ito dapat, hindi natapos yung facilities so savior yung Bahrain,” Tolentino added.