Aira Villegas, Albert Ian delos Santos PH flag bearers in Asian Games

DELIVER. Boxer Aira Villegas and weightlifter Albert Ian delos Santos in action for the Philippines.

Reuters (Villegas) and Asian Weightlifting Federation Facebook page (Delos Santos)

The flag-bearing duties for the Asian Games opening ceremony fall on Olympic boxing medalist Aira Villegas and weightlifting junior world record holder Albert Ian delos Santos

AT A GLANCE

• Boxer Aira Villegas and weightlifter Albert Ian delos Santos will serve as flag bearers for the Philippines at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.
• Villegas, a bronze medalist from the 2024 Paris Olympics, expressed her honor in leading Team Philippines, while Delos Santos recently set multiple records at the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships.
• Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino announced the flag bearers during a send-off event, noting that tennis star Alex Eala was considered but could not participate due to her schedule.

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MANILA, Philippines – Two of the Philippines’ top medal prospects in the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, will serve as flag bearers as boxer Aira Villegas and weightlifter Albert Ian delos Santos are tasked to lead the delegation in the opening ceremony.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino made the announcement on Thursday, September 10, during the send-off event for athletes competing in the Asian Games and Asian Para Games. 

Villegas, 31, is best known for winning a bronze medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics, contributing to the Philippines’ finest Summer Games campaign led by gymnastics double gold medalist Carlos Yulo.

The pride of Tacloban, Leyte, has also won silver and bronze medals in the Southeast Asian Games. 

“It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be given this honor, to be a flag bearer for Team Philippines in a competition of this magnitude,” said Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines president Marcus Jarwin Manalo. “I think Aira will be a good ambassador of the Philippines at the Asian Games.” 

“I think she is really deserving of this great honor.” 

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Delos Santos is fresh from a dominant campaign in the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in August in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where he set multiple continental and world records.

Delos Santos completed a three-gold sweep in the junior men’s 70kg division and established new Asian and world records in clean and jerk with 180kg and total lift with 321kg.

Hailing from Zamboanga City like Olympic weightlifting champion Hidilyn Diaz, Delos Santos also captured a silver medal in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, where he finished behind home bet and reigning world champion Weeraphon Wichuma.

Tolentino said tennis star Alex Eala was considered for flag-bearing duties, but plans did not push through as she is set to compete in the Singapore Open, which begins on September 21, two days after the Asian Games opening ceremony on September 19 at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium.

While the quadrennial showpiece has yet to official open, the men’s basketball tournament already tipped off, with Gilas Pilipinas opening its title defense against Bahrain on Friday, September 11. – Rappler.com