DIAMNIADIO, Senegal — The Philippines achieved its best performance in Youth Olympic Games history, securing two silver medals in athletics at the conclusion of the fourth edition in Dakar.
Athletes Naomi Marjorie Cesar and Pi Durden Forward Wangkay led the nine-person Philippine delegation in Senegal, competing across six sports. Cesar captured silver in the 800 meters, while Wangkay earned silver in the 200 meters. Their podium finishes surpassed the country’s previous youth Olympic medals, which included Christian Tio’s silver in kiteboarding at the 2018 Buenos Aires Games.
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham Tolentino highlighted the significance of the campaign, noting the high caliber of international competition.
“It’s the best performance, these two medals,” Tolentino said. “The level of competition in the YOG is high, the young athletes from the powerhouse countries are as high in their age group as their elite counterparts.”
Tolentino emphasized that facing opponents with superior training programs from the Americas, Europe, and Asia revealed physical differences, with foreign athletes often proving bigger, stronger, and faster. To bridge this gap, he called for stronger grassroots programs and potential scouting for heritage athletes overseas.
To build a sustainable pipeline, Tolentino pointed to the upcoming Southeast Asian Games Youth Plus, a new competition for athletes aged 16 and under. Scheduled for December 2027 in Manila, Pasig, Tagaytay, and Subic, the inaugural event aims to serve as a vital pathway toward the Asian Youth Games and the Youth Olympics.
Closing out the Philippine campaign at Saly Beach West, 16-year-old windsurfer Jade Justine Justiniane finished sixth in the men’s windsurfing event after officials cancelled the final race due to a lack of wind.
Justiniane served as the flag-bearer during the closing ceremony at the YOG Athletes Village in Diamniadio, which International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry described as “magical.”
“It really has been a magnificent journey,” Coventry told journalists. “And we’re so, so proud. I am so proud, I’m so grateful.”
“We’ve spent time in Dakar, we spent time here in Diamniadio, we’ve spent time in Saly, and it’s just really been extremely magical,” she added.
China dominated the overall medals table with 17 gold, eight silver, and seven bronze medals, followed by Japan and the Russian Federation. Among Southeast Asian nations, Singapore placed highest at No. 49, while the Philippines tied at No. 68 alongside five other countries.