Busy year beckons Filipino athletes

From Harbin in February to Chengdu in August and Bahrain in October before finally in Thailand in December, the year 2025 will be very busy for Filipino athletes, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said.

“It’s a busy year marked with major international competitions,” said Tolentino after meeting his new executive board in the first major POC function of the year at the Hai Shin Lou Restaurant in Makati City on Tuesday.

Up in 2025 are the Ninth Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China, from 7 to 14 February, 12th World Games in Chengdu also in China from 7 to 17 August, 3rd Asian Youth Olympics Games from 22 to 31 October in Bahrain and the 33rd Southeast Asian Games Thailand is hosting in Chonburi, Songkhla and Thailand from 9 to 20 December.

“We’re aiming to send as many capable and qualified athletes as possible to these games and we’re targeting the best possible results,” added Tolentino, who earlier this year pronounced that the Harbin Games will be the springboard for the country’s quest for its first Winter Olympics medal.

Joining Tolentino in the meeting were first vice president Al Panlilio of basketball, treasurer Dr. Jose Raul Canlas (surfing) and auditor Donaldo Caringal of volleyball and board members Leonora Escollante of canoe-kayak, Alvin Aguilar of wrestling, Ferdinand Agustin of jiu-jitsu, Alexander Sulit of judo, Leah Gonzales of fencing and swimmer Jessie Lacuna, who represents the athletes commission.

International Olympic Committee Representative to the country Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski also attended the meeting while second vice president Richard Gomez of modern pentathlon couldn’t make it in time from Ormoc City which preceded the POC’s first general assembly of the year — and of the newly-elected POC officials — next week.

The Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, according to Tolentino who attended the meeting nursing the flu, were rescheduled for early 2026 by host Riyadh.

The executive board reorganized key functions and committees including Atty. Wharton Chan who remained as secretary-general, Atty. Marcus Andaya (legal), Atty. Billie Sumagui (membership), Atty. Alberto Agra (arbitration), Michael Vargas (international affairs), Escollante (gender equality), Canlas (medical and anti-doping), Sulit (safe sports) and Marcus Jarwin Manalo (technical).

Before the meeting, the board paused for a moment of prayer for former secretary-general Atty. Edwin Gastanes, who passed away last month.