Manila: Six athletes from the Philippines, comprising four men and two women, have secured their qualification for the modern pentathlon event at the 20th Asian Games, which is set to take place from September 19 to October 4 in Nagoya-Aichi, Japan. Alongside the modern pentathlon team, two athletes from the poomsae and kyorugi disciplines in taekwondo also earned their spots last week.

According to Philippines News Agency, the announcement was made by Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino, who expressed optimism about the country's prospects at the upcoming Asian Games. 'We got the email from the organizers about the qualification of six modern pentathlon athletes and that's another good news for our campaign. The opportunities to do better in Nagoya and Aichi continues to grow wider," Tolentino stated in a news release.

The Philippines aims to build on its previous success at the Hangzhou 2022 (2023) Asian Games, where the national team earned a total of 18 medals, including four golds, two silvers, and 12 bronzes. Leading the charge for the Philippines will be Carlos Yulo, a double gold medalist in gymnastics at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and EJ Obiena, the reigning champion and record holder in pole vaulting.

Tolentino expressed hope for more athletes to qualify for the Asian Games, highlighting the increasing competitiveness of the event. "We're hoping that more of our athletes will qualify for the Asian Games, where the competitions have gotten close to the level of the Olympics," he remarked.

In addition to the modern pentathlon and taekwondo qualifications, one of the significant advancements for the Philippines is the qualification of both the men's and women's indoor volleyball teams for the Asian Games. The women's beach volleyball team is also expected to participate, following their gold medal victory at the Bangkok Asian Games in December 2025.