SPORTS: Villegas, Delos Santos to carry PH flag in Asian Games | Sept. 12, 2026

0:00Biagas, Delos Santos to carry pH flag in Asian games. Olympian boxer Ira Biagas and weightlifter Albert Ian Delos Santos were named as flag bearers for the Philippines in the 2026 Asian Games opening ceremony. Biagas, 31, made a name for herself after winning the bronze medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics in the women's 50 kg, KG, Division. The pride of Tocloban City used to sell peanuts, worked as a parking attendant, and washed cars to make ends meet before making the Philippine boxing team. Her life ultimately changed when she won the bronze in the Olympic Games. Biagas was not present during the send-off ceremony for the Philippine delegation at the Risol Memorial Colosseum on Thursday when the names of the flag bearers were announced. She is currently training in Bugio City but expressed her gratitude via a social media post. It is one of the greatest honors of my life to be chosen as a flag bearer for the Philippines at the 20th Asian Games. To carry our flag is to carry the hopes, dreams, sacrifices, and prayers of an entire nation, she wrote. Dottal Hien Co-ang Ating Bindilan Nongmei Dong-gal, Taepang,

1:04at Pousong, PiliPino. Paris a PiliPinos. Paris a Bawat PiliPino. Paris a Pongarup, I will carry our flag with honor, courage, and a Filipino heart. For the Philippines. For every Filipino. For the dream, she added. The last time the Philippines won an Asian Games gold medal in boxing was in 2010 in Guangzhou, China, when Ray Sellodar topped the men's Flyweight 52 kg division. Joining Biegas in the Asian Games Bound National Boxing Team are Risa Pasuit, Women's 54 kg, Neste Ptasio, Women's 60 kg, Carlo Palom, Men's 55 kg, June Milardo O'Guyer, Men's 60 kg, and Norland Ptasio, Men's 70 kg. The other flag bearer for the Philippines is Delos Santos, who bagged three gold medals in the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships. Biegas came from a family of weightlifters. His late dad Alvin was a former Southeast Asian Games gold medalist and weightlifting coach and his mom Dua is a former member of the national

2:05weightlifting team. Getting the honor of carrying the Philippine flag is a dream come true for the family. I was totally speechless, then I texted him, Aynak, Child, you got picked as the flag bearer, you and Ira. I'm so happy, and he started thinking about how happy his dad would be if he were still alive, said Alvin's mom as the young weightlifter was also not an attendance during the send-off. Before, I only said that maybe I could play in the 2022 Asian Games, now it's my child who is playing, and he's even the flag bearer. There's pressure, but I'm excited. Hennis Sensation Alex Aula, the most popular and most accomplished Filipino athlete today, was initially tagged as flag bearer. Philippine Olympic Committee, POC, President Abraham Tolentino, however, explained that Aula will not be the flag bearer for the Philippines in the 2026 Asian Games to give the 18th ranked player in the Women's Tennis Association Apple rest ahead of the Singapore Open. The WTA 500 tournament will run from September 21 to 27 while the Asian Games tennis competition is scheduled from September 27 to October 3. I was on a phone call with Alex's dad,

3:09and he kindly said that she needs to rest for the Singapore Open, so we agreed, Tolentino said during Thursday send-off ceremony.