Olympic bronze medalist Aira Villegas and rising weightlifting star Albert Ian Delos Santos will lead Team Philippines as flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on September 19.
Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino announced the two athletes’ appointment during the official send-off ceremony for the Philippine delegation held at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila.
Villegas, who secured a bronze medal in boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, will share the honor with Delos Santos, one of the country’s promising young talents in weightlifting.
Tennis ace Alex Eala was initially considered for the flag-bearer role, but her participation in the Singapore Open, which will take place ahead of the Asian Games, ruled her out of the opening ceremony.
Villegas continued to make her mark following her Olympic campaign, winning a silver medal in the flyweight division at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
Delos Santos, meanwhile, claimed a silver medal at the 2025 SEA Games and further boosted his credentials with three gold medals at the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships.
The pair will lead the 464-member Philippine delegation in the opening ceremony as Team Philippines looks to make its mark in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which will run from September 19 to October 4.
Villegas and Delos Santos will take over the flag-bearing duties from skateboarder Margielyn Didal and pole vaulter EJ Obiena, who carried the Philippine flag during the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
(Photo Courtesy: POC)
