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

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…