ROLLERCOASTER RIDE

Philippine sports has been overflowing with triumphs and heartbreaks in 2024.

From Carlos Yulo’s heroic performance in the Paris Olympics to Kevin Quiambao’s botched swan song in college basketball and John Amores’ controversial fall from grace, the year 2024 was a rollercoaster of emotions for Filipino sports fans.

Rianne Malixi opened the year with a big bang when she carded a remarkable total of seven-under 285 to reign supreme in the Australian Master of the Amateurs in Melbourne from 8 to 12 January.

Carlo Biado sustained the momentum, defeating Bernie Regalario in an all-Filipino final, 13-7, to win the Chinese Taipei Open on 12 January.

Tennis ace Alex Eala also joined the early fireworks as she and Darja Semenistaja of Latvia won over Naiktha Baius of Great Britain and Fannin Stellar of Hungary, 7-6 (8), 6-3, for the championship of the women’s doubles of the W50 Pune in India on 27 January.

Then, Ernest John Obiena capped January by winning the Athlete of the Year award at the Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night for becoming the first Asian pole vaulter to break into the six-meter mark.

In February, boxers Rogen Ladon, Hergie Bacyadan, Aira Villegas and Nesthy Petecio made Filipinos fall in love after winning four gold medals in the Boxam Elite Tournament in La Murcia, Spain last 4 February.

Lee Vann Corteza and Chezka Centeno dominated the Las Vegas Open as they won the men’s and women’s 10-ball titles, respectively.

Obiena once again became the apple of the eye for sports fans after he won the Memorial Josip Gasparac in Croatia and the ISTAF Indoor Meet in Berlin.

Meanwhile, Gilas Pilipinas also made the hearts of Filipino sports fans melt in the final week of the Love Month as it beat Hong Kong on the road, 94-64, then walloped Chinese Taipei at the Philsports Arena, 106-53, in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers under head coach Tim Cone.

Hello, Paris

Petecio and Villegas sizzled as hot as the summer sun when they booked their respective tickets to Paris Olympics after posting strong performances in the World Qualifying Tournament in Italy.

Another boxer performing impressively was Melvin Jerusalem, who clinched the World Boxing Confederation minimumweight belt from holder Yudai Shigeoka of Japan.

Eumir Marcial isn’t about to get upstaged by fellow pugs in March after he beat Thoedsak Sinam of Thailand via a seventh-round technical knockout at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

In tennis, Eala bags another gold medal after she teamed up with home bet Estelle Cascino to beat French netter Jessika Ponchet and Maia Lumsden of Britain, 7-5, 7-6 (4), in the women’s doubles final of W75 Croissy Beaubourg in France.

As the summer season heats up in April, so does the competition as Carlos Yulo clinched a gold medal in the parallel bars and a silver medal in the vault in the Doha leg of the FIG Apparatus World Cup.

Meanwhile, another gymnast in Levi Ruivivar booked her seat in the Paris Summer Games as she picked up a silver medal in the uneven bars in the same competition and collected enough Olympic Qualifying Points.

Weightlifters John Ceniza, Vanessa Sarno, and Elreen Ando flexed their muscles as their performances in the IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand was enough to boost their Olympic rankings and book a ticket to the French capital.

Despite complications with her knee, Samantha Catantan won in the Asia Oceania Zone Olympic Qualifiers in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, becoming the first Filipino female fencer to compete in the Summer Games.

Joanie Delgaco also made history in April as she became the first Filipino female rower to qualify for the Olympics after her fourth-place finish in the women’s single sculls final of the World Rowing Asia and Oceania Olympic Qualifiers in Chungju, South Korea.

As the qualification for the Paris Olympics intensifies, Emma Malabuyo remains cool as she qualifies via a bronze medal finish in the women’s all-around in the Asian Championships in Tashkent.

In the same competition, Yulo won four gold medals after dominating the all-around, floor exercise, vault and parallel bars.

In the United States, Obiena started the outdoor season on a high note after winning the gold medal in the LA Grand Prix after going over 5.80 meters.

Meanwhile, Alas Pilipinas won 23-23, 25-15, 25-7 over Australia to take the bronze medal of the AVC Challenge Cup, the country’s first AVC podium finish in 63 years.

Bianca, Dottie make cut

As the weather starts to get gloomy in June, Carlo Paalam and Hergie Bacyadan provided a ray of sunshine as they booked their spots in the Paris Olympics via the 2nd Boxing World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Thailand.

Golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina add to the growing list of Filipino Olympians after making it to the Top 60 of the women’s Olympic golf rankings while Filipino-Japanese judoka Kiyomi Watanabe made it to the Summer Games via the continental quota.

Gilas Pilipinas Women clinched the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup in Shenzhen, China after beating Lebanon, 95-64.

In domestic action, Meralco stunned defending champion San Miguel Beer, 80-78, in Game 6 to win the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup title.

Filipinas team manager Jefferson Cheng stepped down as team manager after six years, putting the Philippine Football Federation in disarray.

The medals keep on raining in July with Alex Eala winning both the women’s singles and doubles trophies in the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain.

Strong Group Athletics was also triumphant in July as it completed an eight-game sweep to clinch the 43rd William Jones Cup in Chinese Taipei.

Pedro Taduran reclaimed his IBF minimumweight championship after a ninth-round TKO against home bet Ginjiro Shigeoka in Otsu, Japan.

King Carlos

Back in the United States, Malixi reigned supreme in the US Girls’ Junior and became the second Filipina golfer to win a US Golf Association competition.

Malixi’s victory is a perfect setup to Yulo’s historic performance as he formally became the first Filipino to win two Olympic gold medals after winning the floor exercise and vault events of the Summer Games in August.

No Filipino had ever won two gold medals in the Olympics, instantly making Yulo the most successful Filipino Olympian ever.

Also clinching Olympic medals were Petecio and Villegas, who secured getting bronze medals each in the women’s 57-kg and 50-kg, respectively.

Meanwhile, Malixi continues to win in the United States after clinching the US Women’s Amateur crown in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

As the country welcomes September, Rubilen Amit won WPA World Women’s 9-Ball Championship with a gutsy 1-4, 4-2, 4-2, 4-3, over Chinese Chen Siming, 1-4, 4-2, 4-2, 4-3, in Hamilton, New Zealand.

Jerusalem also looked strong in his title defense as he defeated Luis Castillo of Mexico via unanimous decision.

But the biggest — and most controversial — news was when Amores got engaged in a shooting spree after a heated argument in a pickup game in Lumban, Laguna.

Footages of the scary incident circulated online while Amores immediately surrendered and posted bail. The Games and Amusement Board finally acted and revoked his professional license, leaving him without a choice but to appeal if he still wants to play professionally.

UP, Mapua gain redemption

Tachiana Mangin kickstarted October, the month of tricks, with a treat as she won the female -49kg competition of the World Taekwondo Junior Championships in Chuncheon, South Korea.

Biado added another treat for the Filipino billiard fans as he won the Ho Chi Minh City Open in Vietnam.

After her boxing stint in the Paris Olympics, Hergie Bacyadan clinched the gold medal in the women’s K1 70-kg division in the Asian Kickboxing Championship in Cambodia.

Despite November being known to be gloomy as the Filipinos remember their departed love ones, TNT fans are happy seeing the Tropang Giga win Game 6, 95-85, over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and clinch the PBA Governors’ Cup crown.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson spearheaded the assault, helping the Tropang Giga reassert their dominance against Justin Brownlee and the Kings.

The Philippine men’s baseball team hit it out of the park in November as it won its fifth straight East Asia Cup title in Clark, Pampanga.

The Philippine dragonboat team had a good catch in the ICF Dragon Boat World Championships in Puerto Princesa, winning 11 golds, 20 silvers, eight bronze medals.

As the holidays draw near in December, Mapua University got an early gift as it finally ended a 33-year title drought to clinch the Season 100 National Collegiate Athletic Association crown over College of Saint Benilde.

In the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), University of the Philippines finally redeemed itself after winning the Season 87 crown over De La Salle University after three grueling games in the finals.

It was a sweet win for the Fighting Maroons as they gained the UAAP after two years of frustration but was a sorry result for Kevin Quiambao as he left college basketball on a sad note despite collecting his second Most Valuable Player award.

As the country was celebrating Christmas, the Philippine men’s national football team not only qualified for the semifinals of the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup in six years but also defeated Thailand, 2-1, for the first time in 52 years.

Sadly, goodbyes were also present as Filipinas midfielder Tahnai Annis announced her retirement from the sport after six years.

The Philippine national women’s futsal team might end the year in turmoil after head coach Vic Hermans was sacked and four players handed their resignations from the squad.

Truly, the year 2024 is a year to remember.

It didn’t only create heroes and villains but memories that will last a lifetime.