![Terry Lim's Kali Seminar with Maurice Ruiz and Ben Poon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Terry_Lim%27s_Kali_Seminar_with_Maurice_Ruiz_and_Ben_Poon.jpg)
Sports in the Philippines is an important part of the country's culture.
There are six major sports in the Philippines:
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
,
boxing
Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
,
tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
,
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
,
billiards
Cue sports are a wide variety of games of skill played with a cue, which is used to strike billiard balls and thereby cause them to move around a cloth-covered table bounded by elastic bumpers known as .
There are three major subdivisions of ...
, and
volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
. Despite being a tropical nation,
ice skating
Ice skating is the self-propulsion and gliding of a person across an ice surface, using metal-bladed ice skates. People skate for various reasons, including recreation (fun), exercise, competitive sports, and commuting. Ice skating may be per ...
has recently become a popular sport in the Philippines. Sports such as
athletics
Athletics may refer to:
Sports
* Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking
** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport
* Athletics (physical culture), competiti ...
,
weightlifting
Weightlifting generally refers to activities in which people lift Weight training#Equipment, weights, often in the form of dumbbells or barbells. People lift various kinds of weights for a variety of different reasons. These may include various t ...
,
aerobics
Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness (flexibility, muscular strength, and cardio-vascular fitness). It ...
, and
martial arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
are also popular recreations.
On July 27, 2009, President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, House Deputy Spe ...
signed Republic Act No. 9850 into law, declaring
Arnis
Arnis, also known as Kali or Eskrima/Escrima, is the national martial art of the Philippines. The three are roughly interchangeable umbrella terms for the traditional martial arts of the Philippines (" Filipino Martial Arts", or FMA), which em ...
as the Philippine National Martial Art and Sport.
Administration
The governing agency for sports in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
is the
Philippine Sports Commission
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC, ) is an agency of the Philippine government which tackles matters concerning sports in the country. The sports agency is independent from the Philippine Olympic Committee which enjoys autonomy from the gov ...
which was created in 1990 while the
Games and Amusements Board
The Games and Amusements Board (GAB) ( tgl, Lupon sa Palaro at Libangan) is the government-ran regulatory body of professional sports in the Philippines.
History
The Games and Amusements Board initially started its operation in 1951 with the issu ...
is the government's regulatory body for professional sports in the country.
The
Philippine Olympic Committee
The Philippine Olympic Committee Inc. (POC) is the National Olympic Committee of the Philippines.
The POC is a private, non-governmental organization composed of and serve as the mother organization of all National Sports Associations (NSAs) i ...
(POC), a private entity is the sports body which represents the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
in international sports competition sanctioned by the
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
including the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
. The POC was established in 1975, replacing the
Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation
The Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation (PAAF) was the governing body of sports in the Philippines and the predecessor of the Philippine Olympic Committee.
History
The Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation was organized in a permanent basis ...
which was founded in 1911. The POC's membership also includes national sports associations (NSAs), organizations which governs a specific sport or discipline in the country. The
Philippine Paralympic Committee
The Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC), formerly known as Philippine Sports Association for the Differently Abled—National Paralympic Committee of the Philippines, is the national sports association for physically impaired athletes, tasked t ...
is the POC's counterpart in
disabled sports
Parasports are sports played by people with a disability, including physical and intellectual disabilities. Some parasports are forms of adapted physical activities from existing able-bodied sports, while others have been specifically created for ...
and is a member of the
International Paralympic Committee
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC; german: Internationales Paralympisches Komitee) is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and fun ...
.
There are also other alternative sporting bodies such as the
Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines
The Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines, abbreviated as FESSAP is a university sports federation based in the Philippines established in 1999. It is recognized by the Commission on Higher Education since 1999 and member of ...
which claims to be the sole governing body for university sports in the country and participates in
International University Sports Federation
The Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU, en, International University Sports Federation) is responsible for the organization and governance of worldwide sports competitions for student-athletes between the ages of 17 and 25. ...
(FISU) sanctioned tournaments.
Summary by discipline
Traditional sports
![Filipinocockfight](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Filipinocockfight.JPG)
The Philippines has numerous traditional sports that were popular before the colonial era and after the colonial era. Among these are
archery
Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
,
arnis
Arnis, also known as Kali or Eskrima/Escrima, is the national martial art of the Philippines. The three are roughly interchangeable umbrella terms for the traditional martial arts of the Philippines (" Filipino Martial Arts", or FMA), which em ...
, horse-riding, fling sports, wrestling sports, dart sports, track sports, and traditional martial arts.
With the
sport
Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...
of
cockfighting
A cockfight is a blood sport, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first documented use of the ''word'' gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a "game", a sport, pastime or ente ...
being wildly popular in the Philippines, attracting large crowds who bet on the outcome of fights between the birds, and the sport itself a popular form of fertility
worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. It may involve one or more of activities such as veneration, adoration, praise, and praying. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognition ...
among almost all
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
ns. Such sports activity as the
sport
Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...
of
cockfighting
A cockfight is a blood sport, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first documented use of the ''word'' gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a "game", a sport, pastime or ente ...
, related to ritual forms of worship as practices and rituals of ancient worship intended for the blessings of the supernatural, as "in Indus Valley and other ancient civilizations, mother goddess had been invoked for fertility and prosperity" which included that religious
cockfight
A cockfight is a blood sport, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first documented use of the ''word'' gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a "game", a sport, pastime or ente ...
lay as a prime example of "cultural synthesis of 'little' and 'great' cultures"
Individual sports
Boxing
The Philippines has produced one of the most number of boxing champions in the world such as
Francisco Guilledo
Francisco Villaruel Guilledo (August 1, 1901 – July 14, 1925), more commonly known as Pancho Villa, was a Filipino professional boxer. Villa, who stood only 5 feet and 1 inch (154 cm) tall and never weighed more than 114 pounds ...
(Pancho Villa),
Ceferino Garcia
Ceferino Montano Garcia (August 26, 1906 – January 1, 1981) was a champion boxer born in Naval, Biliran, Philippines. He holds the most victories ever achieved by a Filipino boxer and is also the only boxer from the Philippines to become world ...
,
Nonito Donaire
Nonito Gonzales Donaire Jr. (; ; born November 16, 1982) is a Filipino American professional boxer. He has held multiple world championships in four weight classes from flyweight to featherweight, and is the oldest boxer in history to win a b ...
(The Filipino Flash) and
Manny Pacquiao
Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao Sr. (; born December17, 1978) is a Filipino politician and former professional boxer. Nicknamed "PacMan", he is regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. He served as a Senator of the Philip ...
(Pacman).
Boxing is among the most popular individual sports in the Philippines. Some Filipino boxers such as Manny Pacquiao,
Gabriel Elorde
Gabriel "Flash" Elorde (March 25, 1935 – January 2, 1985) was a Filipino professional boxer. He won the lineal super featherweight title in 1960. In 1963, he won the inaugural WBC and WBA super featherweight titles. He holds the record at supe ...
and Pancho Villa are recognized internationally. The
Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines
The Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (formerly Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines until 2013), or ABAP, is the governing body for amateur boxing in the Philippines.
History
On May 30, 2013, ABAP held its first gen ...
is the governing body for
amateur boxing
Amateur boxing is a variant of boxing practiced at the collegiate level, at the Olympic Games, Pan American Games and Commonwealth Games, as well as many associations.
Amateur boxing bouts are short in duration, comprising three rounds of three ...
in the country.
The
Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines
The Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (formerly Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines until 2013), or ABAP, is the Sports governing body, governing body for amateur boxing in the Philippines.
History
On May 30, 2013, ...
(formerly Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines) (ABAP) is the governing body of amateur boxing in the Philippines. The ABAP's current goal is for the country to win its first ever Olympic gold medal in boxing, to be recognized as one of the world's boxing powers as well as to improve the image of the Philippines abroad.
The country continually produces talented fighters, often in the junior featherweight division (122 pounds and below).
The International Boxing Association sanctions amateur (Olympic-style) boxing matches which allows the national amateur boxing athletes of the Philippines to represent the country and compete in regional, continental and international matches and tournaments. The Philippines has currently two silver and three bronze Olympic medals.
Figure skating
Ice skating rinks used as venues for figure skating are limited to shopping malls in the country, particularly in the
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
area. The first ice skating rink in the country was opened in 1992 at
SM Megamall
SM Megamall, simply known as Megamall, is the third largest shopping mall in the Philippines and the thirteenth largest in the world that is developed and operated by SM Prime Holdings. It is located in Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong, Philippi ...
in
Mandaluyong
Mandaluyong, officially the City of Mandaluyong ( fil, Lungsod ng Mandaluyong), is a first class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 425,758 people.
Loca ...
. The first Olympic sized ice skating rink was opened at the
SM Mall of Asia
SM Mall of Asia, also abbreviated as SM MoA, or simply Mall of Asia or MoA, is a large shopping mall in the Philippines, located at Bay City, Pasay, Philippines, within the SM Central Business Park, a reclaimed area within Manila Bay, and the ...
. An ice skating rink also operates in
SM Southmall
SM Southmall or SM Southmall Las Piñas is a large shopping mall in the Philippines, owned and operated by SM Prime Holdings. The mall is located along the busy Alabang-Zapote Road in Las Piñas. The mall has of land area, a total floor area of ...
. There are more figure skating coaches in the Philippines than ice hockey coaches and the first Filipino ice skating coaches were roller skaters. The Philippine Championship is a national competitive for ice skating in which the winner gets to represent the country in international competitions. The Philippines has also managed to qualify and send a figure skater to the
2014 Winter Olympics
, ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'')
, nations = 88
, events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, athletes = 2,873
, opening = 7 February 2014
, closing = 23 February 2014
, opened_by = President Vladimir Putin
, cauldron =
, stadium = Fisht Olympic ...
becoming the first Southeast Asian country to do so at the
Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were h ...
. The said figure skater was
Michael Christian Martinez
Michael Christian "Mikee" Martinez (born November 4, 1996) is a Filipino Olympic figure skater. He is the 2015 Asian Figure Skating Trophy champion, a two-time Triglav Trophy champion and has won one ISU Challenger Series medal, silver at the 201 ...
.
Team sports
American football
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
is a relatively new sport to the Philippines.
ArenaBall Philippines
The Philippine Tackle Football League (PTFL), formerly known as ArenaBall Philippines (ABP), was an American football league in the Philippines. The last champions were the Wolves which won their second title and the Bandits held the most titles, ...
was the first league and lasted from 2009 to 2015. In 2016 the
Philippine-American Football League was founded.
The Philippines also organizes a
men's national team.
Famous Filipino players to have played in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
include
Eugene Amano
Eugene Philip Amano (born March 1, 1982) is a former American football offensive lineman. Playing for the Tennessee Titans from 2004 to 2013 as both a center and guard, he replaced eight-time All-Pro selection Kevin Mawae as starting center in 20 ...
,
Tim Tebow,
Roman Gabriel
Roman Ildonzo Gabriel Jr. (born August 5, 1940) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was the second overall pick in the 1962 NFL Draft and played for the Los Angeles Rams for eleven seaso ...
,
Tedy Bruschi
Tedy Lacap Bruschi (; born June 9, 1973) is a former professional American football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, who currently serves as the senior advisor to the head coach at University of A ...
,
Chris Gocong
Christopher Andrew Gocong (born November 16, 1983) is a former American football linebacker who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round ...
,
Steve Slaton
Steve Slaton (born January 4, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football for West Virginia University, and earned consensus All-American honors. He was chosen by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 200 ...
,
Aaron Francisco
Aaron Francisco (born July 5, 1983) is a former American football safety. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at BYU.
He was also a member of the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Co ...
,
Jordan Dizon
Jordon Dizon (born January 16, 1986) is a retired American football linebacker who currently serves as a National Scout for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He last played for the Detroit Lions of the National Football Lea ...
, and
Doug Baldwin
Douglas Dewayne Baldwin Jr. (born September 21, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Stanford and was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2011. Baldwin is the Seahawks thi ...
.
In the 2010s the
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
has begun to be aired in the country on over the air television. The sport has gained some popularity in the Philippines.
Association football
![JfCiudadINC29PhilArenaStadiumfvf](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/JfCiudadINC29PhilArenaStadiumfvf.JPG)
Football in the country dates back in the 1890s. The
men's national team of the Philippines played their earlier matches prior to
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
against
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
at the
Far Eastern Championship Games
The Far Eastern Championship Games (also known as the Far Eastern Championships, Far Eastern Games or Far East Games) was an Asian multi-sport event considered to be a precursor to the Asian Games.
History
In 1913, Elwood Brown, president of ...
.They experience a decline after that period but has since recovered following their stint at the
2010 AFF Championship
The 2010 AFF Championship, sponsored by Suzuki and P&G and officially known as the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup, was the 8th edition of the AFF Championship, took place on 1–29 December 2010. Indonesia and Vietnam hosted the group stage from 1 to 8 De ...
. The country also organizes a
women's national team which has competed at the
AFC Women's Asian Cup
The AFC Women's Asian Cup (formerly known as the AFC Women's Championship) is a quadrennial competition in women's football for national teams which belong to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It is the oldest women's international football ...
. During the
2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup
The 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup was the 20th edition of the AFC Women's Asian Cup, the quadrennial international women's football tournament in Asia competed by the national teams in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
India was selected a ...
, the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
delivered a 1-0 shock win against
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
, before losing against
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
4-0, before coming back to win 6-0 against
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, ensuring a spot in the Asian Cup quarter finals, facing
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
and winning 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in extra time, giving them their first ever
FIFA Women's World Cup
The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association ( FIFA), the sport's international governing bo ...
qualification, for
2023
Events
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1
** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law.
** Croatia will adopt the eu ...
. They faced
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
in the Semis where they lost, 2-0.
The
Philippines Football League
The Philippines Football League, commonly known as PFL, is a Filipino professional football league sanctioned by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF). It is the Philippines' highest level of men's club football, supplanting the United Footb ...
is the top flight football league in the country. Each club represents their respective cities or provinces and required to have a youth squad for the Youth League. It also helps to promote football awareness and grassroots program to the young Filipino footballers who admire to play professional football.
The
Philippine Football Federation
The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) is the governing body of association football in the Philippines. Established as the Philippine Amateur Football Association (PAFA) in 1907, the PFF is one of the oldest national football associations in ...
is the governing body for football in the country.
Basketball
![Mall of Asia Arena 2019](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Mall_of_Asia_Arena_2019.jpg)
Basketball was introduced in the country during the
American colonial era
The colonial history of the United States covers the history of European colonization of North America from the early 17th century until the incorporation of the Thirteen Colonies into the United States after the Revolutionary War. In the ...
and was one of the sports contested at the now defunct
Far Eastern Championship Games
The Far Eastern Championship Games (also known as the Far Eastern Championships, Far Eastern Games or Far East Games) was an Asian multi-sport event considered to be a precursor to the Asian Games.
History
In 1913, Elwood Brown, president of ...
. The
men's national team has competed in the
Summer Olympics
The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...
making their debut in
1936
Events
January–February
* January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...
although they have been absent in the recent editions of the Games.They have also competed in the
FIBA World Cup
The FIBA Basketball World Cup, also known as the FIBA World Cup of Basketball or simply the FIBA World Cup, between 1950 and 2010 known as the FIBA World Championship, is an international basketball competition contested by the senior men's nat ...
with the country hosting the tournament when it was still known as the FIBA World Championships in
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
.Their third-place finish in the
1954 edition was their best performance in the tournament, they will host the
2023 edition with
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
.
The
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of twelve company-branded franchised teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia and is the se ...
is the oldest league in Asia and is the top basketball league in the country. Other rival or smaller leagues in the country are organized. There are college basketball leagues and competitions such as the
Philippine Collegiate Championship
The Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) is a national collegiate basketball championship league in the Philippines. Its tournament, known as the "National Collegiate Championship" (NCC) is sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipina ...
. Basketball matches of the
University Athletic Association of the Philippines
The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), established in 1938, is an athletic association of eight Metro Manila universities in the Philippines. The eight-member schools are Adamson University (AdU), Ateneo de Manila Univers ...
and the
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
also receives attention.
The country also has a women's basketball team which has competed at the
FIBA Asia Women's Championship, as well as men youth team's and
3x3 national teams.
The
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (Basketball Federation of the Philippines) is the national sport association of basketball in the Philippines.
Baseball
Baseball was introduced in the Philippines by the Americans. The first baseball game in the Philippines was played in September 1898 weeks after the Battle of Manila, a match between Astor Battery led by George Wetlaufer and a regiment from the American Army. From 1899 to 1900, baseball clubs were established by local Filipinos. The sport's introduction aided the American colonial government's assimilation efforts. General Otis planned to eliminate local cockfighting through the introduction of the sport. A baseball league composing of six clubs was established. Then, Governor General William Howard Taft encouraged baseball in the archipelago. Baseball grew to be a popular sport in the country. The national team is
Philippines national baseball team
The Philippines national baseball team represents the Philippines in international matches and tournaments. It is organized by the Philippine Amateur Baseball Association.
They were the inaugural champions of the Asian Baseball Championships in ...
and the governing body is
PABA
Rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
was first played in the Philippines in 2012. The
Philippines National Rugby League
The Philippines National Rugby League Championship (or the PNRL for short) is the top level domestic rugby league competition in the Philippines.
History
The Philippines National Rugby League was first formed in 2012. In 2013 the Philippines ...
are the governing body and are responsible for the growth of
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
in the Philippines. The sport was introduced to the
Philippine Merchant Marine Academy
The Philippine Merchant Marine Academy ( fil, Akademiya sa Bapor Pangkalakalan ng Pilipinas) also referred to by its acronym PMMA) is a maritime higher education institution operated by the Philippine government in San Narciso, Zambales. Student ...
by
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n expats. Clubs have also been established by
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
n expats and students (where rugby league is their national sport).
The national team are known as the
Tamaraws and represents the country in international rugby league competition.
Rugby union
![Manila 024 (3709699819)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Manila_024_%283709699819%29.jpg)
The
Philippine Rugby Football Union
The PRFU is the official governing body of the sport of Rugby Union in the Philippines. The PRFU was founded in 1998 and was granted full World Rugby membership in 2008. Philippine Rugby is a non-profit national sports association registered with ...
was founded in 1998 and is the governing body of
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. There are currently around 12 schools playing rugby union in the Philippines and 10 teams that compete in regular competition. The national team is known as the
Volcanoes
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are ...
and competes in the
Asia Rugby Championship
The Asia Rugby Championship, or ARC, is an annual rugby union competition held amongst national rugby sides within the Asia Rugby region. The competition was originally known as the Asian Rugby Football Tournament when founded in 1969, and was call ...
and the
Asian Sevens Series
The Asia Rugby Sevens Series is an annual series of regional rugby sevens tournaments run by Asia Rugby featuring national sevens teams. It has been held regularly since 2009 to determine Asia's best men's national team in the sport of rugby seve ...
.
Volleyball
The NSA affiliated with the sport is called the
Philippine National Volleyball Federation
The Philippine National Volleyball Federation Inc. (PNVF), also known as Volleyball Philippines, is the sports governing body, national sport association for volleyball in the Philippines. It is recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee (PO ...
. Women's volleyball currently enjoys immense popularity primarily due to its growing fan base in the
University Athletic Association of the Philippines
The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), established in 1938, is an athletic association of eight Metro Manila universities in the Philippines. The eight-member schools are Adamson University (AdU), Ateneo de Manila Univers ...
and the
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
amateur tournaments.
Internationally, competitors are given the opportunity to represent the country in tournaments such as the Southeast Asian Games as well as the Olympics.
The sport has also seen the development of leagues such as the
Philippine Super Liga
The Philippine Super Liga (PSL; alternatively spelled as Philippine Superliga) was a non-professional corporate club women's volleyball league in the Philippines. It was first organized by SportsCore Event Management and Consultancy, Inc. and ...
,
Spikers' Turf
The Spikers' Turf is a men's semi-professional volleyball league in the Philippines associated with the Sports Vision Management Group, Inc. (Sports Vision).
History
The league had its beginnings in 2014, when the Shakey's V-League introduce ...
and the
Premier Volleyball League
The Premier Volleyball League (PVL) is a women's professional volleyball league in the Philippines organized by Sports Vision Management Group, Inc. The league began in 2004 as the Shakey's V-League, a women's collegiate league. Since 2011, the ...
.
Sports leagues
The following are the main domestic leagues (or ''de facto'' top-flight leagues) in the Philippines.
Olympics and Paralympics
The Philippines has participated in all editions of the Olympics except in
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC.
* January 9 – ...
when it joined the
American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics boycott was one part of a number of actions initiated by the United States to protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The Soviet Union, which hosted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, and its allies late ...
. The country is also the first tropical nation to participate at the
Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were h ...
, debuting at the
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
edition and has participated in three other edition of the winter games.
The Philippines has also participated in the
Summer Paralympics
The Summer Paralympics also known as the Games of the Paralympiad, are an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete. This includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and cerebral ...
although it has still to make its debut in the
Winter Paralympics
The Winter Paralympic Games is an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete in snow and ice sports. The event includes athletes with mobility impairments, amputations, blindness, and cerebral palsy. Th ...
.
The country won its first
Olympic gold medal
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
at the
2020 Summer Olympics
The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July.
Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...
through
weightlifter
Olympic weightlifting, or Olympic-style weightlifting (officially named Weightlifting), is a sport in which athletes compete in lifting a barbell loaded with weight plates from the ground to overhead, with each athlete trying to successfully lift ...
Hidilyn Diaz
Hidilyn Francisco Diaz-Naranjo (; born February 20, 1991) is a Filipino World and Olympic champion weightlifter and airwoman, the first Filipino to ever win an Olympic gold medal for the Philippines. She is also an Olympic weightlifting reco ...
.
All time medal count
* ''For ASEAN University Games, Arafura Games, Games of the New Emerging Forces, and FESPIC Games data is not complete''.
* ''As 2021''
Regional Hosting
World and Continental Championship hosting
Domestic multi-sport competitions
The Philippine government organizes the
Palarong Pambansa
The Palarong Pambansa (Filipino language, Filipino for "National Games") is an annual multi-sport event involving student-athletes from 17 regions of the Philippines. The event, started in 1948, is organized and governed by the Department of Ed ...
, the national games for student-athletes in the country which often serves as a route for Filipinos to be scouted to national teams of their respective sports.
Other domestic games include the
Philippine National Games
The Philippine National Games (PNG) officially known as the POC- PSC Games is a national multi-sport tournament in the Philippines. It was created as a means to determine the possible composition of national pool athletes that will compete in int ...
and the
Batang Pinoy
The Philippine Youth Games – Batang Pinoy or simply Batang Pinoy () is the national youth sports competition of the Philippines for athletes under 15 years old. Unlike the Palarong Pambansa a competition for student athletes, the Batang Pinoy a ...
.
Corruption and mismanagement
Graft and corruption are major issues in the Philippine sports industry. Graham Lim, a former secretary general of the
Basketball Association of the Philippines
The Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) was the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) recognized national governing body for basketball in the Philippines. It was recognized by the FIBA in 1936 until 2007 when the Samahang Ba ...
, a former POC-recognized national federation for basketball, said in a ''
The Manila Times
''The Manila Times'' is the oldest extant English language, English-language newspaper in the Philippines. It is published daily by The Manila Times Publishing Corp. (formerly La Vanguardia Publishing Corporation) with editorial and administrati ...
'' article that politics and monopoly in Philippine sports started when the present leaders, including
Peping Cojuangco
José "Peping" Sumulong Cojuangco Jr. (born September 19, 1934) is a Filipino former congressman and the 9th President of the Philippine Olympic Committee from 2004 to 2018. He is a member of the influential Cojuangco political family.
Early lif ...
, the then
Philippine Olympic Committee
The Philippine Olympic Committee Inc. (POC) is the National Olympic Committee of the Philippines.
The POC is a private, non-governmental organization composed of and serve as the mother organization of all National Sports Associations (NSAs) i ...
president and his golfer-friend Richie Garcia, the then chairman of the
Philippine Sports Commission
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC, ) is an agency of the Philippine government which tackles matters concerning sports in the country. The sports agency is independent from the Philippine Olympic Committee which enjoys autonomy from the gov ...
, took over the control of the sporting sector in 2005 that made Philippine athletes to suffer decline and deterioration on their high-caliber quality due to corruption and politicking.
In 2009, Lim was arrested and later declared an "undesirable alien" by the Department of Justice due to countless deportation cases, in connection with his questionable citizenship, said that the deportation order is issued because the pressure pushed by his arch-rivals
Manny V. Pangilinan
Manuel Velez Pangilinan, (born July 14, 1946), also known by his initials MVP, is a Filipino businessman and sports patron. He is the managing director and CEO of First Pacific Company Limited, a Hong Kong-based investment management and hol ...
, the then head of the
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas () or the SBP is the national sport association for basketball in the Philippines, formed from the merging of the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) and Pilipinas Basketball (PB).
It was formed ...
, the later-recognized NSA for basketball and Cojuangco.
Lim also exposed a top government official, through a deputy has asked 6 million pesos to settle the case, also he claims that several NSAs (National Sports Associations) are headed by some people who have "toe the line" to Cojuangco and anyone who do not follow his orders would be dismissed "by hook or by crook".
An NSA also questioned the appointment of Cojuangco's daughter
Mikee as the representative of the Philippines in the
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
without any caution. Former Senator
Nikki Coseteng
Anna Dominique "Nikki" Marquez-Lim Coseteng (born December 18, 1952) is a Filipina politician who served as a senator from 1992 to 2001, and as representative of Quezon City's 3rd district from 1987 to 1992.
Early life
Coseteng was born on Dece ...
also noted that the suffrage of the athletes was emerged due to lack of foreign exposures and depleted training program as a result on sports bodies' insufficient budget and incompetent sports officials.
Senator
Antonio Trillanes IV
Antonio Fuentes Trillanes IV (; born August 6, 1971) is a retired Philippine naval officer who also served as a senator of the Philippines from 2007 to 2019. He is known for his involvement in the Oakwood mutiny of 2003 and the Manila Peninsul ...
, the former
Table Tennis Association of the Philippines president filed a graft and corruption case against Cojuangco and Garcia in 2012 due to issuance of checks and releasing of funds of PSC to the group of Ting Ledesma who have claimed as TATAP officials despite a court case filed by Manila Regional Title Court on the legitimacy of TATAP officials.
A column by Jarius Bondoc in the
Philippine Star
''The Philippine Star'' (self-styled ''The Philippine STAR'') is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the Philstar Media Group. First published on July 28, 1986, by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, M ...
dated March 2, 2016, reported that more than 1 billion pesos of earnings from casinos that supposed to fund the sports development program of the PSC by the First Cagayan Leisure and Resort Corporation, have been diverted into the account of former
Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police ( fil, Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas, acronymed as PNP) is the armed national police force in the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Current ...
chief
Alan Purisima
Alan La Madrid Purisima (born November 21, 1959) is a former Filipino police officer. He served as Philippine National Police Chief between December 17, 2012 and February 5, 2015.
Early life
Purisima grew up in San Ildefonso, Ilocos Sur.
He wa ...
from 2012 to 2015.
In March 2015, Edgardo Cantada, brother of prominent broadcaster
Joe Cantada
Jose J. Cantada, better known as "Smokin'" Joe Cantada, (March 15, 1942 – March 22, 1992) was a Filipino TV host, anchor & commentator. He died of lung cancer in March 1992. He distinguished himself with his smooth baritone voice and his ...
and president of the now-unrecognized by the POC,
Philippine Volleyball Federation
The Philippine Volleyball Federation (formerly known as the Philippine Amateur Volleyball Association) was the governing body for volleyball in the Philippines from 1961 to 2015.
History
Supt. Tomas de Castro held a meeting with Justice Roman N ...
, also questioned Cojuangco on the removal of the body into the local olympic commission, and replaced by another formed NSA by Cojuangco,
Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas
Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc. (lit. Volleyball Sport in the Philippines) was the national sport association for volleyball in the Philippines between 2015 and January 2021. It was recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), th ...
. Cantada pointed three reasons that POC is under dictatorship: worsening campaign for the national teams in international tourneys, including the
Southeast Asian Games
The Southeast Asian Games, also known as the SEA Games, is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The games are under the regulation of the Southeast Asian Games Federation with supe ...
, NSAs in turmoil against POC are involved and the negligence and corruption issues between Cojuangco's favorite national sports associations.
See also
*
Philippine Olympic Committee
The Philippine Olympic Committee Inc. (POC) is the National Olympic Committee of the Philippines.
The POC is a private, non-governmental organization composed of and serve as the mother organization of all National Sports Associations (NSAs) i ...
*
Philippine Sports Commission
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC, ) is an agency of the Philippine government which tackles matters concerning sports in the country. The sports agency is independent from the Philippine Olympic Committee which enjoys autonomy from the gov ...
*
Department of Sports (Philippines)
*
Philippines at the Southeast Asian Games
The Philippines first sent athletes to the Southeast Asian Games in 1977. Prior to 1977, the Southeast Asian Games were known as the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games. The country has hosted the games four times; in 1981, 1991, 2005, and 2019. The ...
*
Project Gintong Alay
Project Gintong Alay or Gintong Alay () was a national sports program of the Philippine government launched under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos.
History Establishment
In Letter of Instructions No. 955 dated October 31, 1979, ...
*
POC-PSC Philippine National Games
The Philippine National Games (PNG) officially known as the Philippine Olympic Committee, POC-Philippine Sports Commission, PSC Games is a national multi-sport tournament in the Philippines. It was created as a means to determine the possible comp ...
*
Palarong Pambansa
The Palarong Pambansa (Filipino language, Filipino for "National Games") is an annual multi-sport event involving student-athletes from 17 regions of the Philippines. The event, started in 1948, is organized and governed by the Department of Ed ...
*
Batang Pinoy
The Philippine Youth Games – Batang Pinoy or simply Batang Pinoy () is the national youth sports competition of the Philippines for athletes under 15 years old. Unlike the Palarong Pambansa a competition for student athletes, the Batang Pinoy a ...
*
Bodybuilding in the Philippines Bodybuilding in the Philippines refers to the bodybuilding sport practiced by Filipino bodybuilders in the Philippines to be able to compete in local and international bodybuilding competitions. According to Filipino sports reporter Bill Velasco of ...
*
Horseracing in the Philippines
Horseracing in the Philippines began as a recreational activity in 1867. Its history is divided into three major time periods based on the breed of horses raced, in conjunction with the three significant eras of Philippine history. According to t ...
*
Volleyball in the Philippines
The history of volleyball in the Philippines refers to the history of volleyball in the Philippines as a recreation and as a sport. Philippine volleyball history began in 1910 when the Philippines was a United States territory (1898–1946). The ...
Notes
References
External links
Most Memorable Dates in Philippine SportsSports Philippines – Sports News, Updates, and StoriesPhilippine National Council for the Welfare of Disabled PersonsInternational Association For Disabled SailingBaseball PhilippinesPhilippine Ultimate Association
{{Sport in Asia