The Philippine Olympic Committee Family capped 2025 with renewed confidence as president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino praised Filipino athletes for their consistency and growth. He said the coming year holds even more promise as Team Philippines prepares for a packed international calendar.

Tolentino pointed to improved coordination with the Philippine Sports Commission as a key reason for the positive outlook. He described the partnership as harmonious and crucial to sustaining recent gains across multiple disciplines.

Despite finishing sixth overall at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, Tolentino emphasized that the quality of gold medals mattered more than the total count. He noted that most of the country’s 50 gold medals came from Olympic sports.

Olympic focus defines SEA Games success

An analysis cited by the PSC showed that Team Philippines tied Singapore for the highest percentage of gold medals won in Olympic sports among the 11 participating nations. Singapore placed fifth overall with 52 golds, many of them from aquatics, while the Philippines excelled across a wider range of Olympic events.

Filipino athletes claimed golds in athletics, swimming, gymnastics, triathlon and modern pentathlon, along with strong showings in women’s football, beach volleyball and basketball. The country also made its mark in baseball, tennis, judo, skateboarding, softball, taekwondo, rowing, sailing, short-track speed skating, weightlifting and wrestling.

Tolentino said this Olympic-centered success reflected long-term progress under his leadership. During his tenure, the Philippines won its first Olympic gold through Hidilyn Diaz at Tokyo 2020 and added two more via Carlos Yulo at Paris 2024.

Momentum carries into global events

Beyond the SEA Games, Tolentino highlighted strong performances at the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain and the World Games in Chengdu. He also cited the men’s curling gold at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin as a historic milestone for both the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

Looking ahead, Tolentino expressed excitement over a demanding 2026 schedule that includes the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, Asian Beach Games in Sanya and the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. He also mentioned the Dakar Youth Olympic Games and the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Riyadh as major targets.

Tolentino said the challenges ahead are significant but welcomed the opportunity to measure continued improvement. He stressed that all preparations and achievements remain centered on supporting Filipino athletes and advancing Philippine sports.