MANILA, Philippines — Tennis sensation Alex Eala, the most popular and most accomplished Filipino athlete today, will not be the flag bearer for the Philippines in the 2026 Asian Games.
Weightlifter Albert Ian Delos Santos and Olympian boxer Aira Villegas have been named flag bearers in the opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan on Sept. 19
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham Tolentino explained that Eala was initially considered for the role, but had to decline to give herself ample rest ahead of the Singapore Open.
The WTA 500 tournament runs from Sept. 21 to 27 while the Asian Games tennis competition is scheduled from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3.
“I was on a phone call with Alex’s dad, and he kindly said that she needs to rest for the Singapore Open, so we agreed,” Tolentino said during Thursday's send-off ceremony.
To carry the flag, Tolentino selected two prominent gold-medal hopefuls to lead the delegation, Delos Santos and Villegas.
Delos Santos, 20, won three gold medals and broke the record at the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships, while Villegas, 31, won a bronze medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
