Historic finish beckons Team Phl

Team Philippines is on the verge of its best finish in 64 years with barely four days left before the closing ceremony of the 20th Asian Games at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya.

The Filipinos had already won three gold medals after impressive performances by Carlos Yulo in gymnastics and Ernest John Obiena in athletics in the first 10 days of action of this prestigious continental showpiece.

A double gold medalist in the Paris Olympics, Yulo made true to his promise as he won two gold medals in his pet events — floor exercise and vault — on Thursday and Friday, while Obiena extended his reign as Asian pole vault king when he successfully defended his title on Tuesday.

Now, the stage is set for the Filipinos to make a thrilling finale. Heavy favorites like world No. 18 Alex Eala of tennis, Olympic silver medalist Carlo Paalam of boxing, and reigning Asian Games champion Annie Ramirez are set to see action in the next couple of days, putting Team Philippines in a perfect position to cement its best finish ever since winning seven gold medals in the Jakarta edition of the Asian Games in 1962.

Eala has two chances to win not one, but two, gold medals — women’s singles and women’s doubles events — while Paalam formally advanced to the final after beating of the men’s 55-kilogram semifinal.

Ramirez, on the other hand, will start her title retention bid on Thursday together with Olympian Kurt Barbosa and former world junior champion Tatiana Mangin of taekwondo as well as two-time Olympian Kiyomi Watanabe of judo.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio fired up the national athletes, hoping and praying that they surpass the initial target of winning more than four gold medals.

“Of course, we want to surpass the four gold medals that we won in Jakarta in 2018 and four in Hangzhou in 2023,” Gregorio said on Wednesday morning from Nagoya.