2024 was straight-up GOATED for PH sports, and for all the right reasons.
Whether you were at Araneta catching a collegiate basketball game or tuning into the best gymnastics on the global stage, Filipinos had plenty of moments to cheer about this past year. There were some highs and some heartaches, but one thing’s for sure: Our athletes never backed down.
From intense showdowns to jaw-dropping performances, here are the GOATED PH sports moments of 2024!
Carlos Yulo wins double gold in Paris
Talk about a GOATED moment: Carlos Yulo made history by winning two gold medals at the Paris Olympics. He became the first Filipino male to snag Olympic gold, following Hidilyn Diaz’s gold in weightlifting at Tokyo 2020. And as if that wasn’t enough, Yulo is now the first and only Filipino to win two Olympic golds.
At just 24, Yulo’s been raking in millions from the government and corporate sponsors, and he’s popping up everywhere — TV guestings, magazine covers, galas, you name it. Yulo is HIM. If anyone unlocked GOAT status in 2024, it’s definitely him.
Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas bag Olympic boxing bronze
Together with Yulo, boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas helped the Philippines capture our best-ever Olympic medal haul. Petecio, who took home the silver at Tokyo 2020, bagged the bronze this time in Paris, adding to her Olympic medal collection. Villegas, on the other hand, made her Olympic podium debut with her bronze-medal win.
These fighters didn’t just bring massive pride to the Philippines — they proved once again that Filipina athletes can hang with the best in the world.
Gilas Pilipinas win big
You can’t talk about PH sports without mentioning Gilas Pilipinas, who had a game-changing year under coach Tim Cone.
Back in July, Gilas made some serious noise by defeating Latvia, ranked 6th in the world, during our Olympic qualifier bid. That win was huge, marking our first victory over a European team since 1960. Then, in November, Gilas kept the momentum going, beating New Zealand 93-89 in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, staying undefeated after 4 games. This was also the first time the national team beat the Tall Blacks in a FIBA game.
Creamline secures the Grand Slam
“All I do is win” must’ve been the 2024 theme song of the Creamline Cool Smashers. They started the year strong, beating Choco Mucho to take the All-Filipino Conference title, then followed it up by taking down Akari to claim the Reinforced Conference. And to top it all off, Jema Galanza and the squad beat Cignal in the Invitational Conference, securing their 10th title.
It was a straight-up banger of a year for Creamline, as they went on to snatch the PVL Grand Slam.
Meralco Bolts win their first PBA title
Chris Newsome and the Meralco Bolts made history by snagging the team’s first-ever PBA championship. The PBA Philippine Cup Finals was a total thriller, with the Bolts edging out the San Miguel Beermen 80-78 in a nail-biting Game 6.
Newsome took home Finals MVP honors for his standout performance, while the coaching squad, led by Luigi Trillo and Nenad Vucinic, were named Coach of the Year by the PBA Press Corps.
No doubt, this was a GOAT year for the Bolts!
NU and UP claim UAAP titles
This UAAP basketball season was all about comebacks and redemption. After getting knocked out by UST last year in women’s basketball, the powerhouse NU Lady Bulldogs came back hard to reclaim their championship crown. With Cielo Pagdulagan stepping up big time, she led her team through three intense games, snagging the Finals MVP along the way.
Over in men’s basketball, the UP Fight Maroons silenced the haters by dethroning the DLSU Green Archers in a 3-game Finals showdown. The Maroons were actually winless against DLSU in the elimination rounds, and after winning game 1, they let DLSU bounce back with a game 2 victory. But with the leadership of Finals MVP JD Cagulangan, and clutch plays from Francis Lopez and Quentin Millaro-Brown, UP managed to bring the ‘chip back to Diliman.
It was a comeback season for the books!
Men’s Football makes AFF semis berth
The Philippine Men’s National Football Team just made history by reaching the ASEAN Championship semifinals (AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup) for the first time since 2018! They pulled off a huge win against Thailand last Friday in the first leg of the semis, 2-1. Thanks to goals from Sandro Reyes and Kike Linares, the squad took the lead in the series.
And get this — it was the first time in 52 years that the Philippines beat Thailand! Talk about a legendary moment.
That’s a wrap for the most GOATED PH sports moments of 2024. Did we miss any? Let us know your GOATED sports moments from the year in the comments below!https://www.instagram.com/p/C-NgJZ1IizT/
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