19 Fearless Filipino Athletes to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Last Updated on July 19, 2021 by OJ Maño

With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics fast approaching, the whole nation supports our Filipino athletes competing in various sporting events. The Philippines will send 19 athletes to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics that will be staged from July 23 to August 8 in Tokyo, Japan. #WeWinAsOne

Generous benefactors like Ramon S. Ang of San Miguel Corporation and Manny V. Pangilinan of the MVP Group have committed monetary incentives for podium finishers.

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino has confirmed that Olympic gold medallists will get a total of P30 million; silver medallists, P15 million, and bronze medallists, P6 million each.

We enjoin the nation in praying for the success of our Olympians in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. Good luck, Yuka and Bianca! Good luck to all Filipino athletes! May you bring home the bacon. We are rooting for you!

Filipino Athletes going to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Filipino Athlethes
Philippine Team going to the Tokyo Olympics (Photo from FB/POC – Philippine Olympic Committee – Olympic.PH)
SportFilipino Athletes
Athletics – Women’s 200 mKristina Marie Knott
Athletics – Men’s Pole VaultErnest Obiena
Boxing – Men’s flyweightCarlo Paalam
Boxing – Men’s middleweightEumir Marcial
Boxing – Women’s flyweightIrish Magno
Boxing – Women’s featherweightNesthy Petecio
Golf – Men’s DivisionJuvic Pagunsan
Golf – Women’s DivisionYuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan
Gymnastics – Men’s All-aroundCarlos Yulo
Judo – Women’s 63 kgKiyomi Watanabe
Rowing – Men’s single scullsCris Nievarez
Shooting – Men’s air rifle 10-meterJason Valdez
Skateboarding – Women’s streetMargielyn Didal
Swimming – Men’s 50 & 100-meter freestyle eventsLuke Gebbie
Swimming – women’s 100 & 200-meter butterfly eventsRemedy Rule
Taekwondo – Men’s 58 kgKurt Barbosa
Weightlifting – Women’s 55 kgHidilyn Diaz
Weightlifting – Women’s 64 kgElreen Ando
List of Filipino Athletes qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Bulakenya Athletes going to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

This year’s Olympics will be special as have 2 pretty Bulakenya golfers swinging their way to winning a medal for the country. Our kababayan Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan officially secured their slots to the Tokyo Olympics. Yes, both golfers have Bulakenya blood running in their veins.

Yuka was born in San Ildefonso, Bulacan, to a Japanese father and a Filipina mother. On the other hand, Bianca has Bulacan roots. She is related to the Pagdanganans of Calumpit and her maternal great-grandfather is from Baliuag. 

Read Bulakenya golfers Saso and Pagdanganan qualify for Tokyo Olympics

List of Filipino Athletes who are Olympic Medallists

There are 9 Filipino athletes (so far) who have won an Olympic medal for the country ever since we first joined the quadrennial international multi-sport event in 1928. We have won a combined 3 silver and 7 bronze medals for the Philippines.

OlympicsSports EventMedalName
Rio 2016 Summer OlympicsWeightlifting – Women’s 53 kgSilverHidilyn Diaz
Atlanta 1996 Summer OlympicsBoxing – Men’s light-flyweightSilverMansueto “Onyok” Velasco Jr.
Barcelona 1992 Summer OlympicsBoxing – Men’s light-flyweightBronzeRoel Velasco
1988 Seoul Summer OlympicsBoxing – Men’s light-flyweightBronzeLeopoldo Serantes
1964 Tokyo Summer OlympicsBoxing – Men’s featherweightSilverAnthony Villanueva
1936 Berlin Summer OlympicsAthletics – Men’s 400-meter hurdlesBronzeMiguel S. White
Los Angeles 1932 Summer OlympicsBoxing – Men’s bantamweightBronzeJosé Luis Villanueva
Los Angeles 1932 Summer OlympicsAthletics – Men’s high jumpBronzeSimeon Galvez Toribio 
Los Angeles 1932 Summer OlympicsSwimming – 200-meter breaststrokeBronzeTeófilo E. Yldefonso
Amsterdam 1928 Summer OlympicsSwimming – 200-meter breaststrokeBronzeTeófilo E. Yldefonso
List of Filipino Olympic Medalists

The most bemedaled Filipino olympian is Teófilo E. Yldefonso with 2 bronze medals under his name. He won in the 200-meter breaststroke at the Olympic Games in 1928 and 1932. He is a legendary swimmer, was known as the “Ilocano Shark,” and named “The Father of the Modern Breaststroke” by transforming the motion of the breaststroke form or biomechanics. He was a World War II hero as well.

The legendary father and son boxers José Luis Villanueva and Anthony Villanueva gave the country silver and bronze medals. Similarly, the Velasco brothers, Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco Jr. and Roel Velasco, also won silver and bronze medals. Being a champion runs in the family indeed.

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