The Philippine flag is flying high at the 2026 Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China, as the country delivers a stirring start.
Driven by grit and determination, the Philippines has so far collected seven medals—three gold, two silver, and two bronze—to surge into the top three of the overall standings behind China and Thailand as of the latest tally.
Leading the charge is Alexandria Enriquez, who delivered a historic breakthrough by clinching the country’s first gold medal in the women’s 63-kg jiu-jitsu event. Her triumph set the tone for what has become a wave of confidence for the team.
Leonard Grospe followed with a victory of his own, clearing the 2.05-meter bar in beach athletics (high jump) to secure another gold medal for the Philippines.
The country’s third gold also came from jiu-jitsu, courtesy of veteran Annie Ramirez, who faced Emily Thomas for an all-Filipino podium finish in the 57-kg division. Ramirez, a two-time world champion and gold medalist in the 2014 and 2016 editions of the Games held in Phuket and Da Nang, respectively, prevailed over Thomas via advantage in a tightly contested final.
Equally inspiring was the performance of the women’s 4×60-meter relay team, which delivered one of the country’s two silver medals. Composed of Jessica Laurance, Shane Joy Ponce, Lianne Diana Pama, and Olympian Kristina Knott, the quartet clocked 29.73 seconds to finish a close second behind Thailand, which won the event with a time of 29.46.
The Philippines also secured two bronze medals through jiu-jitsu athlete Kaila Napolis in the women’s 52-kg division and sprinter Jessica Laurance in the women’s 60-meter event.
The Asian Beach Games is a multi-sport regional event featuring athletes from across Asia competing in beach and water sports. The Games are now held every two years, from the previous four-year cycle. This year’s edition features 15 disciplines, with 63 gold medals at stake across 14 sports.