A pack of Filipino teenagers turned their first taste of international competition into a podium sweep. Filipino aerobic gymnasts, most of them making their international debut, walked away from the 10th Aerobic Gymnastics Asian Championships with one gold, one silver and three bronze medals, giving the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) exactly the result it was banking on when it agreed to host the meet at the Tagaytay CT Velodrome.

PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio pointed to the medal haul as proof that hosting international events pays direct dividends for local athletes. “This [is] the reason why we host these international events so we can showcase our athletes and enhance their development. Para mabigyan ng pagkakataon yung ating mga atleta at manalo sa international level,” Gregorio stressed.

Teen Debutants Lead the Charge

The headline performance came from Palarong Pambansa standouts Rhimel Daniel Cabides and Antonette Amante, both just 14, who struck gold in the youth mixed pairs event with a score of 17.80 points in their maiden international appearance. Their win anchored what turned into a breakout showing for the Philippines’ next generation of gymnasts.

General Santos natives Rhys Enoch Balmayor, 11, and John Mikaela Ladaran, 13, added to the haul with a bronze-medal finish of their own, scoring 17.150 in a meet organized by the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines, sanctioned by the Asian Gymnastics Union, and backed by the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

“That is grassroots gymnastics at its best. Look at them, so young at 13 and 14 years old. But when they perform, akala mo sanay na sanay na. Iba yung level of confidence when you host, iba yung hometown cheering for you,” Gregorio said. “Hosting international events like these give our athletes, especially our young ones, needed exposure and are great confidence builders.”

Hometown Stage Builds Toward Olympic Pipeline

Gregorio framed the young medalists’ success as part of a bigger picture, one where early exposure on home soil helps build the country’s next wave of Olympic-caliber athletes. “Let us not forget that our great Olympians and athletes began at a young age like 10 and 11 years old before they became successful on the international stage,” he said, “so hindi na natin dapat bitawan ang mga yan.”

Beyond the medals, Gregorio highlighted the tourism impact of bringing the championships to Tagaytay, with close to 400 athletes from 12 nations staying in the city for five days. “At the same [time], we promoted the country as a sports tourism destination, Tagaytay in particular,” he noted.

“Our hosting of the 10th Aerobic Gymnastics Asian Championships was a complete package: our athletes won medals while we promoted sports tourism. That is the perfect strategy of the Philippine Sports Commission,” Gregorio stressed.