If this is what the future of Philippine sports looks like, then we’re in good hands.
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Among the many things the 2024 Paris Olympics have taught us, one of the most poignant is that all kinds of sports should be supported and funded. Beyond the usual suspects of basketball and even volleyball are many Filipino athletes who have the talent to make it and just need the extra push and investment from the powers that be. The future generation of Pinoy athletes are there and deserve the spotlight with what they’re bringing to the table. So, below, we’ve rounded up a few Gen Z Filipino athletes who have been making a name for themselves in different sports and are rising stars to watch out for.
SOFIA FRANK – ICE SKATING
In a tropical country like the Philippines, it’s unsurprising that we aren’t big on winter sports. But there are young Filipinos who are making the case that the Philippines has a place in those kinds of sports. One such athlete is Sofia Frank. The Filipino-American is regarded as one of the country’s best ice skaters, as proven by being a two-time Philippine national champion in the sport, as well as representing the PH in different international skating events. Oh, and did you know that she’s just 18 years old? That’s the future right there.
MIGUEL BESANA – GYMNASTICS
The historic success of Carlos Yulo at the Paris Olympics has made many Filipinos (finally) pay attention to gymnastics in the Philippines. And aside from Caloy, one Filipino gymnast to watch out for is Miguel Besana. The Gen Z athlete is one of the country’s brightest gymnastic stars and may very well be next in line to join Carlos Yulo on the world stage. Among the 20-year-old artistic gymnast’s notable achievements include winning a gold medal at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia after he topped the men’s vault apparatus finals.
JIA KAWACHI – POLE VAULT
The work EJ Obiena has done to make Filipinos care about pole vaulting has done miracles for the sport in the country. And if you want to support EJ’s cause, you can also give that same energy to other promising Pinoy vaulters, like Jia Kawachi. The 25-year-old athlete has a bright future ahead of her. She already has her name in the history books when she broke the UAAP’s record for the highest vault jump not once, but twice, during her final year as a member of the Ateneo Women’s Track and Field Team.
With a recorded height of 3.61 m, Jia broke the record held by former FEU pole vaulter Riezel Buenaventura (who was also Jia’s coach at the time) which stood at 3.40 m for 15 years. Talk about passing it on to the next generation.
ABBY BIDAURE – ARCHERY
Katniss Everdeen who? We only know Abby Bidaure. Abby, along with her sister Pia, have made a name for themselves in Philippine archery, and for good reason. The younger Bidaure sibling is a world-ranked national archer and SEA Games medalist, notably taking home a gold medal in the women’s team recurve in 2022, becoming the first gold for the Philippines in Recurve since 2005. The 22-year-old does all that while focusing on her studies as a BS Psychology student at De La Salle University in Bacolod.
EDUARDO COSETENG JR. – RACECAR DRIVING
There’s just something about Filipinos in their late teens and early twenties and racecar driving that makes for a match made in heaven. While Bianca Bustamante has been making waves with McLaren, don’t also sleep on another Gen Z Pinoy in the global racing circuit; Eduardo Coseteng Jr.
As the son of Philippine racing legend Eduardo “Jody” Coseteng Sr., the young driver has been revving his engines in the sport. Among his impressive achievements, so far, include winning the Macau International Kart Grand Prix in 2019 and being the first-ever driver from the Philippines to participate in the British Formula 4 Championship single-seater motorsport series. These days, you can catch the young driver burning rubber in races across Europe.
CHRISTIAN TIO – KITEBOARDING
Let Joanie Delgaco’s admirable performance in Olympic rowing prove that, as an archipelago, the Philippines should be better at supporting athletes who compete in aquatic sports. The talent is already there. Just look at Christian Tio. The professional kiteboarder is a pro at the extreme sport and has a silver medal from the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Argentina as proof, which actually made Christian the first Filipino athlete in history to win a medal at the Summer Youth Olympic Games.
RIANNE MALIXI – GOLF
Bianca Pagdanganan is well on her way to a podium finish in LA 2028 after her 4th place finish in Paris. But she may also be joined by another Filipina golfer at the City of Angels if Rianne Malixi keeps up her hot streak. The 17-year-old rising golfer hasn’t even entered her young adult era, yet she’s already bagging wins left and right.
Notably, she finishes within the Top 10 in multiple international competitions. This year alone, she won the Australian Master of the Amateurs Championship and became the first Filipino and second woman in history to win the US Girls’ Junior and US Women’s Amateur titles in the same year. And did we mention that she won both titles in 22 days? Yeah, she’s that good.
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