It was a good year for Philippine sports as the country saw multiple droughts ended in various levels of international competitions, highlighted by the Philippine Men’s National Football Team’s semifinal win against Thailand in the 2024 ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup on December 27.
From football and basketball, to gymnastics and billiards, there was a lot of reasons to celebrate for Filipinos this year.
As the Philippine sports community looks forward to a brand new year, let’s take a look back at the biggest highlights of streak-busting wins and appearances in the biggest sporting events across the globe.
1. The Miracle in Manila
It’s been 14 years since the PMNFT’s famed Miracle in Hanoi, which spurred the country’s football community to grow in the early 2010s.
But last Friday night, it was a miracle on home soil that marked an optimistic era of our national booters. For the first time in 52 years, the Philippines beat Thailand in men’s football, 2-1, thanks to a game-winning header by Kike Linares at the death in Leg 1 of the semifinals of the 2024 ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup.
With a packed Rizal Memorial Stadium watching, the Philippines set themselves up for an exciting end of the year with Leg 2 slated in Bangkok on December 30.
Despite remaining as underdogs in the matchup against the reigning two-time Mitsubishi Electric Cup champions, the drought-ending victory ensures a competitive Philippines heading to Thailand for the right to compete in the Finals.
The Philippines hasn’t won a football crown at any level in the men’s side, while the women’s team last won the AFF Women’s Championship back in 2022.
2. Carlos Yulo nabs double-gold in Paris
Carlos Yulo made sure that the Philippines’ 100th year of participating in the Olympics would be a special one as he emerged as the country’s first-ever double gold medalist in Paris 2024 a few months back.
After weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz won the country’s first gold in Tokyo 2020, Yulo included his own name in the history books with not just one, but two gold medals in artistic gymnastics in his second foray in the Olympic Games.
Winning the gold in his pet event of floor exercise first, making it two consecutive Games for the Philippines with a gold medal after previously winning none in the first 96 years of competing, Yulo sweetened it further after ruling the competition anew in Vault the very next day.
While Yulo reaped the benefits of his achievements with multiple endorsements, cash pledges, and the like, Team Philippines also piggybacked off of his success with another satisfactory medal haul from the Olympic Games, with Nethy Petecio and Aira Villegas bagging bronze medals in boxing.
The Olympics won’t be around until 2028 in Los Angeles, but if the last two editions have been anything but accurate, Team Philippines can continue to work and improve for hopefully another successful stint in sport’s biggest stage.
3. Women gymnasts make mark in Olympic Games
Though Yulo was undoubtedly the star of Paris 2024, the three women gymnasts of the Philippines — Aleah Finnegan, Levi Ruivivar, and Emma Malabuyo — became the first female participants for the country since 1964.
Despite missing out on the medal rounds in their respective apparatus and the all-around, the young gymnasts showed potential for other future competitions for the Philippines.
As hype over gymnastics rises with Yulo’s success, the three Fil-Am athletes will surely look to turn their fates around in the next Olympics, and the competitions in between.
After ending a 60-year Olympic drought, the women of Philippine gymnastics will continue to work to make themselves a staple in the Olympics.
4. Biado, Amit bag elusive crowns in pool
The Philippines have been known to produce some of the best cue artists in the world, with Philippine billiards legend Efren “Bata” Reyes considered among the best in the world, and current stars rising among the ranks in international competition.
In 2024, both Carlo Biado and Rubilen Amit nabbed individual accomplishments that cemented their legacy as among the biggest stars in the sport currently, taking after Reyes as the latter wanes in his career in his old age.
Biado, for his part, made sure to recover from his almost-win in 2015 as he bagged the his first-ever 10-ball championship, ruling the WPA men’s world 10-ball championship earlier this year in Las Vegas.
It was a 20-year wait for Biado, who first turned pro back in 2004.
Meanwhile, Amit, who already won twice before in women’s 10-ball, nabbed her first nine-ball championship in 2024 — making her the first Filipina player to win the women’s world nine-ball title.
She also joined Biado as the only two Filipinos who have won both the 10-ball and nine-ball world championships in their careers.
5. Gilas gets breakthrough over Europeans
Much has been said about Gilas Pilipinas after recent years of sub-par performances, but 2024 has breathed new life into the national team program.
A year after the World Cup, the Nationals were able to score more significant victories, highlighted by the upset decision over Latvia in the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Though eventually falling short of a ticket to Paris, Gilas Pilipinas were able to mark a new era of Philippine hoops — ending a 64-year drought of victory over European teams.
They eventually followed this up with the program’s first-ever win over New Zealand later on in November, where they ended a five-game losing streak against the Tall Blacks in home soil as part of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
With the new year fast approaching, there is a lot of optimism for Philippine sports, with a lot riding on the momentum of the biggest sporting wins in 2024.