MANILA, Philippines — Two-time Olympic medalist Carlo Paalam’s loss in the 2026 Asian Games gold-medal match hit close to home for Olympic boxer Eumir Marcial, who had suffered the same fate. Paalam had the chance to end the country’s 16-year gold medal drought, but he suffered a split-decision loss to Japan’s rising star Rui Yamaguchi, 3-2, in the men’s 52-kilogram (kg) division on Friday at the Nishio Gymnasium in Aichi, Japan. In the 2022 Hangzhou Games (held in 2023), Marcial also had a shot for gold in the men’s 80kg, but he settled for silver after bowing to China’s Tanglatihan Touhetaerbieke in a closely contested bout. The common denominator of the two Filipino Olympians’ fates is that Paalam lost to hometown bet Yamaguchi, and Marcial also lost to host China in the finals. Paalam expressed his frustration after the match against his Japanese foe, stating that the referee halted his momentum. "I'm so good, but the referee again. I don't know, not a good decision. I don’t know about the decision of the referee; he was paying attention so much to me,” Paalam told the media in Filipino via the Philippine Olympic Committee right after stepping out of the ring. “If the momentum is on my side, he stops me. The referee looks like he has a magnifying glass on me,” he added. Marcial then posted on his Facebook account, recalling his 2023 Asian Games stint. “Way back at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, I also felt that I was robbed in the finals. I thought I had won the fight and would bring home the gold for the Philippines in Asian Games boxing after 13 years,” he wrote. “We lost in the finals against the host country. What just happened is not new.” But Marcial said that whatever happens, one should move forward. “Whatever the decision, we need to accept it, move forward to the next fight, and continue chasing our dream. Congratulations, tol (brother). Salute.” Marcial skipped the 2026 Asian Games due to a tight schedule since he just had a professional boxing match in the United States, knocking out American Omar Ulises Huerta. The Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP) and Marcial had a joint decision to skip the Japan Games since rushing back to amateur format after his professional bout could pose an unnecessary physical and health risk.
MANILA, Philippines — Alexandria Luz Enriquez fell short in her gold medal bid after bowing to Orapa Senatham of Thailand in a highly contested bout in the women’s under-63 kilogram clash finals on Saturday at the Aichi Budokan in Aichi, Japan. Despite a 0 score card, the Thai won over the Filipina as she scored an advantage for a near-pass or near-sweep. Senatham almost held Enriquez down, but she rolled over and scrambled out before getting a point. In jiu-jitsu, the player should hold his opponent down for at least three seconds to earn a point from the judges.
Jiu jitsu"s Alexandria Enriquez bagged the Philippines" ninth silver medal in the 2026 Asian Games on Saturday in Japan.
Korea played Venezuela to a goalless draw Friday in their third match under their interim boss Robert Moreno. Korea managed their first shot attempt in the late moments of the first half at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Despite some promising moments in the second half, including a last-gasp shot by winger Lee Dong-gyeong during stoppage time, Korea did not find the back of the net. Moreno began his Korea tenure with a 3-0 victory over Ecuador on Sept. 24, but the Taegeuk Warriors endured a 4-1 loss to Uruguay four days later. Korea will wrap up their Sept.-Oct. match window by hosting Uzbekistan on Tuesday at Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, about 40 kilometers south of the capital. Moreno and his staff are signed through the end of November, with two more matches coming up next month. The Korea Football Association said Moreno will be given a chance to stay on to lead Korea at the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in January next year in Saudi Arabia. That decision will depend on Korea's performance in Moreno's first six matches in charge a
North Korea used the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games to showcase its prowess in strategic sports on the international stage while promoting national pride and unity at home. But the North Korean athletes in their teens and 20s taking part in the Games have been suppressing their youthful instincts, confined by intensive self-criticism sessions and strict controls while in Japan. According to this newspaper's reporting, the North Korean delegation has, during these Games, been found to hold self-criticism sessions frequently; completely block outside exposure and contact in and around competition venues; and effectively confine athletes to their accommodations outside competition hours. At weightlifting venues, where self-criticism sessions were conducted openly despite the presence of outsiders, as well as at soccer fields, shooting ranges, gymnastics venues and canoe courses, North Korean athletes were isolated from the "exchange and harmony" promoted by the Games. "Even when they stay alongside athletes from other countries at accommodations designated by the organizing committee, North
OKAZAKI, Japan — Oh Ye-jin won the silver in the women's individual recurve archery at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Saturday, losing in a shoot-off. Oh lost to Kumkum Anil Mohod of India in a shoot-off in the women's individual final at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square in Okazaki, some 50 kilometers southeast of the main host city, Nagoya. Oh sought South Korea's first gold medal in the women's recurve archery after winning the silver medal in the women's team recurve event the previous day. Oh led 3-1 after the first two sets. She won the first set 29-27 after hitting two 10s, while Anil Mohod hit an 8 with her third arrow. The two tied 29-29 in the second set, before Anil Mohod shot three 10s in the third to level the set score at 3-3. Oh regained the lead at 5-3 after the fourth set, as Anil Mohod shot an 8 with her second arrow. The two went to a shoot-off after Anil Mohod again shot three 10s in the fifth and final set to tie the set score at 5-5. In the shoot-off, Oh shot an 8, while Anil Mohod hit a perfect 10 to win the gold medal.
The Philippines will look to add more medals as the 2026 Asian Games nears its official closing.
The Alas Pilipinas Men claimed 13th place after Kyrgyzstan confirmed its non-participation in their scheduled classification round match.
Taekwondo"s Jeus Yape was named the flag bearer of Team Philippines for the closing ceremony of the 2026 Asian Games on Sunday.
MANILA, Philippines — Taekwondo gold medalist Jeus Gabriel Derick Yape will bear the flag for a proud Team Philippines during the parade of athletes in Sunday’s closing ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games. “He’s deserving for that honor,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino on the eve Saturday of the closing ceremony set for 5 p.m. (Manila time) also at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium, where the hosts opened the games two weeks ago. “It will be a recognition not only for Jeus but also for taekwondo, which finally won its first Asian Games gold medal since 1994, when the sport became a medal event in the games,” Tolentino added. Yape topped the mixed virtual taekwondo—an open gender event that combines the combat sports with virtual reality and motion-tracking technology—last Friday to highlight a best-ever 1-3-1 gold-silver-bronze haul by the Filipino jins. He also clinched bronze in men’s individual poomsae. Also joining the closing ceremony are silver medalist Juliana Mykhail Candelaria, Tachiana Keizha Mangin and Kurt Barbosa of taekwondo and Carlo Paalam of boxing. Paris Olympics boxing bronze medalist Aira Villegas and weightlifting world junior champion Albert Ian de los Santos were the flag bearers during the September 19 opening ceremony. TMT
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine men’s national volleyball team Alas Pilipinas secured a 13th-place finish at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, following a forfeit by Kyrgyzstan. Coming off a strong 3-1 victory (25-19, 25-15, 23-25, 25-17) over Uzbekistan in Friday's classification match, Alas Pilipinas was scheduled to face Kyrgyzstan at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Kyrgyzstan had also won its Friday match, defeating Hong Kong 3-1 (13-25, 26-24, 27-25, 25-23). However, the Asian Games official website announced that the match would no longer take place after receiving official confirmation that Kyrgyzstan would not participate. Per official protocol, the match was declared a forfeit, awarding the Philippines an official victory recorded as 0–3 (0–25, 0–25, 0–25). Meanwhile, host country Japan and Iran are set to battle for the gold medal in the tournament final on Saturday.
![[Asian Games] Oh Ye-jin wins silver in women's recurve archery](https://newsimg.koreatimes.co.kr/2026/10/03/83a524ba-6e39-4b03-9832-5c9cbf5876a6.jpg)
