Female athletes spearheaded a series of historic performances for Team Philippines at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, capturing 20 of the country’s 50 gold medals and ending decades-long droughts across multiple sporting events.
The Philippine delegation concluded its campaign with a total of 277 medals—50 gold, 73 silver, and 154 bronze—finishing sixth in the overall standings.
A significant portion of the top-tier finishes came from breakthrough performances by women in both individual and team categories.
Football and Volleyball Milestones
The Philippine National Women’s Football Team, known as the “Filipinas,” secured their first-ever SEA Games gold medal by dethroning four-time defending champion Vietnam.
After a scoreless 120 minutes in the final, the Filipinas clinched the title 6-5 in a dramatic penalty shootout.
Goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel provided the heroics, saving a crucial Vietnamese attempt to seal the historic victory.
In beach volleyball, the duo of Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons, alongside teammates Dij Rodriguez and Sunnie Villapando, ended Thailand’s 20-year dominance in the sport.
Their victory marked the first time since 2003 that a non-Thai team won the gold and the first Philippine volleyball gold of any kind since 1993.
Eala Ends 26-Year Tennis Drought
Tennis star Alex Eala delivered on high expectations, capturing the women’s singles gold with a dominant 6-1, 6-2 victory over Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
The win ended a 26-year wait for a Filipina to stand atop the podium in the event, a feat last achieved by Maricris Fernandez in 1999.
“I’ve dreamt for a long time of being able to bring this kind of pride to the Philippines,” Eala told media following her win. “The SEA Games is very personal to us… it’s special in that way.”
Young Stars and Veteran Success
The Games also saw the emergence of the country’s youngest gold medalist in history.
Eleven-year-old skateboarder Mazel Paris Alegado ruled the women’s park finals with a score of 79.72, outperforming a field of older competitors to claim gold for the Philippines.
Other notable female gold medalists included:
• Kayla Sanchez (Swimming): Became the winningest athlete for the Philippines in this edition, securing three gold medals and five silvers.
• Elreen Ando (Weightlifting): Claimed gold in the women’s 63kg category with a total lift of 229kg.
• Naomi Cesar (Athletics): Won a photo-finish gold in the women’s 800m with a time of 2:10.2.
• Kimberly Custodio (Jiu-jitsu): Secured gold in the women’s 48kg Ne-waza event in her SEA Games debut.
The Philippine Women’s Softball Team, the “RP Blu Girls,” continued their regional dominance, successfully defending their title to further bolster the women’s medal count.
Sports officials noted that while the overall gold haul fell short of initial projections, the “herstory” made by Filipina athletes across varied disciplines provides a strong foundation for the upcoming 2026 Asian Games and the 2027 SEA Games.