Philippines Finishes 17th After Winning Seven Asian Para Games Medals

The Philippine Sports Commission praised Filipino para athletes after the country finished 17th at the 2026 Asian Para Games. Ernie Gawilan and Ariel Joseph “Arjay” Alegarbes delivered swimming golds as the Philippines collected seven medals across three sports.

PSC Hails Seven-Medal Asian Para Games Campaign

ABS-CBN News covered the delegation’s closing celebrations after the Philippines completed the continental competition with seven medals. The final tally included two golds, two silvers, and three bronzes, placing the country 17th in Nagoya.

PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio attended the competition’s final two days before congratulating the Philippine delegation on its overall performance. Filipino athletes reached the podium in para swimming, para athletics, and para table tennis during the week-long competition.

“It was a very successful performance, congratulations,” Gregorio said.

Image from: Manila Standard

Philippines Reaches Podium Across Three Sports

Para swimming produced both Philippine gold medals alongside one silver and one bronze during the Aichi-Nagoya campaign. Para athletics contributed two bronzes, while Lhey Manginsay and Wilfred Redulla secured the delegation’s remaining silver in table tennis.

Gawilan and Alegarbes Deliver Philippine Gold Medals

Gawilan successfully defended his men’s 400-meter freestyle S7 title, winning the Nagoya final with a 4:56.72 performance. The victory gave the veteran swimmer his fifth Asian Para Games gold medal across his accomplished continental career.

Alegarbes captured the men’s 100-meter backstroke S14 championship in 1:01.56, earning the Philippines its second gold medal. He defeated South Korea’s Sungho Kang by 0.05 seconds, producing one of the delegation’s closest championship victories in Nagoya.

Swimming Produces Four Philippine Medals

Gawilan added silver in the men’s 200-meter individual medley SM7 after completing the final race in 2:52.72. Raemond Adefuin contributed bronze in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke SB6, giving Philippine para swimming four medals overall.

Manginsay, Redulla and Athletics Add Podium Finishes

Manginsay and Redulla earned mixed doubles XD17 silver after advancing through a five-game semifinal against Japan’s Koyo Iwabuchi and Yuri Tomono. The Filipino tandem won that semifinal, 3-2, before facing China’s Zhao Shuai and Xiong Guiyan for the championship.

China prevailed, 3-1, in the final, leaving Manginsay and Redulla with the Philippines’ second silver medal in Nagoya. Their result expanded the country’s podium representation beyond swimming while adding another medal from the continental table tennis competition.

Reyes and Carpena Secure Athletics Bronze Medals

King James Reyes earned bronze in the men’s 1,500-meter T46, adding an athletics medal to the Philippine campaign. Ma. Ravinia Carpena also captured bronze in women’s shot put F20, completing the country’s seven-medal Asian Para Games haul.

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Chess Absence Changes Hangzhou Medal Comparison

The Philippines finished the previous Hangzhou Asian Para Games with 10 golds, four silvers, and five bronzes overall. Para chess accounted for eight golds, three silvers, and two bronzes before being excluded from the Aichi-Nagoya competition program.

Removing those chess medals leaves a Hangzhou comparison of two golds, one silver, and three bronzes from other sports. Nagoya produced two golds, two silvers, and three bronzes, giving officials additional context when assessing both Philippine campaigns.

“’Yung huli sa China, may chess, maraming medalya,” said Gregorio. “Dito, mahirap panalunan.”

Gregorio and Barredo Put Nagoya Results in Context

Philippine Paralympic Committee President Mike Barredo also compared Nagoya favorably with Hangzhou after removing chess from the previous results. His assessment reflected the altered sports program rather than comparing the two overall medal tables without accounting for unavailable events.

“More or less, with what did [in the] last [Asian Para Games] minus chess… We did well,” Barredo said.

Officials Discuss Para Training Center Before Doha 2030

Gregorio and Barredo met Asian Paralympic Committee President Majid Rashed while attending the closing stages of the Nagoya competition. Their discussions explored possible collaboration on establishing a Philippine training center designed specifically to support para athletes and national programs.

The proposal remains preliminary, with no confirmed construction schedule, approved budget, location, or finalized development agreement publicly announced. Officials discussed the concept as Philippine para sports planning moves beyond Nagoya toward another continental cycle ending in Doha.

Doha Receives Asian Para Games Hosting Handover

Doha received the Asian Paralympic Committee flag during Nagoya’s closing ceremony, formally becoming the next Asian Para Games host. Qatar will stage the sixth edition in 2030, continuing the continental para sports competition after the Aichi-Nagoya Games.

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The Philippines’ raw medal decline from Hangzhou requires context because para chess contributed eight of the previous delegation’s 10 golds. Excluding chess leaves Hangzhou at 2-1-3, compared with Nagoya’s 2-2-3 across sports available during both broader programs.

Nagoya also produced medals across swimming, athletics, and table tennis, while swimming accounted for four of seven Philippine podium finishes. Those results provide a clearer comparison than overall medal totals alone because the competition programs differed substantially between editions.

Source Note: ABS-CBN News and Philippine sports reporting provide medal results, official reactions, and proposed para training center discussions. Asian Paralympic Committee records support the Aichi-Nagoya program, closing ceremony, and Doha 2030 hosting handover details.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many medals did the Philippines win at the 2026 Asian Para Games?

The Philippines won seven medals in Nagoya, finishing with two golds, two silvers, and three bronzes across three sports.

Who won the Philippines’ Asian Para Games gold medals?

Ernie Gawilan won men’s 400-meter freestyle S7 gold, while Arjay Alegarbes captured men’s 100-meter backstroke S14 gold.

Where did the Philippines finish in the medal standings?

The Philippine delegation finished 17th overall after collecting seven medals during the fifth Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

How did para chess affect the Hangzhou comparison?

Para chess contributed eight Philippine golds in Hangzhou, making direct comparisons with Nagoya’s chess-free competition program potentially misleading.

Is the Philippines building a dedicated para sports training center?

Officials discussed a possible dedicated training center, but no budget, construction timetable, location, or finalized agreement has been announced.

Disclaimer: Headline Image from Rappler.