Philippine Chef de Mission Ramon “Tats” Suzara remains upbeat about the country’s medal prospects as competition heats up at the 3rd Asian Youth Games. With the event in full swing, he believes Filipino athletes—particularly in combat and individual sports—are well-positioned to bring home more medals.

Suzara’s optimism comes after the Philippines earned its first gold through pencak silat standout Kram Airam Carpio in the girls’ 51-55 kg division. “I think golf, taekwondo, a lot of martial arts—we have many chances,” he said after leading the Philippine contingent in the colorful opening ceremony held Wednesday night at Exhibition World Bahrain.

He also mentioned muay thai as another discipline where Filipino athletes could deliver results. “We’ll do our best in individual sports. Let’s hope for the best in the next few days,” Suzara said.

Combat and individual sports carry medal hopes

Golf and taekwondo were among the country’s gold-winning sports during the last edition of the Asian Youth Games in Nanjing, China, twelve years ago. That year, Mia Legaspi and Pauline Lopez captured gold medals, while Princess Superal (golf), Francis Aaron Agojo (taekwondo), and Jurence Mendoza (tennis) each bagged silver medals.

Suzara hopes the 2025 delegation will surpass the Philippines’ two-gold, three-silver output from 2013. “I hope we can exceed the target because we have 200 athletes here,” he said. “The Asian Youth Games have a level playing field because all participants are young. Some athletes, like those from Thailand, have more experience, but our teams are improving fast.”

He pointed to Alas Pilipinas’ Under-18 girls volleyball team’s five-set win over South Korea as proof of the Filipinos’ growing competitiveness, even though the team later lost to Thailand in the preliminaries.

Building a stronger national youth program

Beyond medals, Suzara emphasized that the experience in Bahrain will help strengthen the Philippines’ youth sports pipeline. He noted that the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), under chairman Richard “Pato” Gregorio, plans to integrate youth athletes into the national training pool.

“I think it’s an eye opener for both the Philippine Olympic Committee and the PSC,” Suzara said. “Chairman Gregorio wants the junior teams to become part of the national pool. This is a good start and aligns well with the PSC’s Batang Pinoy program, the Youth Olympic Games, and the Asian Youth Games.”

The Youth Olympic Games will take place next year in Dakar, Senegal, giving the Philippines another platform to showcase its next generation of athletes.