SEA Games Team Philippines Update: Alex Eala breaks through as both Gilas Pilipinas squads march into semifinals

Momentum at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games hasn’t arrived for Team Philippines in one sweeping surge. Instead, it has revealed itself in measured breakthroughs — moments that stabilized the campaign and hinted at something building beneath the surface.

That sense of grounding began in Chonburi, where Elreen Ando supplied the lift that finally pushed Philippine weightlifting onto the gold ledger. 

Competing in the women’s 63kg class, Ando muscled through 102 kilograms in the snatch and 123 in the clean and jerk for a 225 total, capturing her second SEA Games gold medal — and her first in a heavier division. 

The performance wasn’t just a podium finish; it was a reminder of her durability as one of the region’s most dependable lifters.

In Bangkok, Gilas Pilipinas Men delivered their own form of reassurance. Against a stubborn Vietnam side, the Filipinos were forced into uncomfortable territory, falling behind by double digits before rediscovering their balance. 

A critical 9–0 burst — punctuated by Robert Bolick’s back-to-back three-pointers — finally tilted the game, allowing Gilas to pull away for a 78–67 victory and complete an unbeaten group stage. It was a win shaped less by dominance and more by composure, the kind that travels well in knockout rounds. 

Matching the momentum of the men’s team, Gilas Pilipinas Women matched the men’s momentum by punching their own ticket to the semifinals after a dominant 92–59 rout of Singapore on Sunday at the Nimibutr Stadium. 

The Filipinas swept Group B with a 2–0 record to secure an outright semifinals berth, continuing the program’s consistent SEA Games presence in the Final Four. 

Kacey Dela Rosa powered the victory with 22 points, six rebounds, and two steals, while Sarah Heyn added 14 points as Gilas Women imposed their pace from start to finish.

The clearest sign of individual momentum, however, came on the hard courts in Nonthaburi. Alex Eala’s long wait to enter individual play ended with authority as the world No. 52 dismantled Malaysia’s Shihomi Leong, 6–3, 6–1, in the women’s singles quarterfinals.

After shaking off an early deficit, Eala dictated play with patience and precision, securing at least a bronze medal and setting up a semifinal clash against Thailand’s Thasasporn Naklo.

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Eala’s day didn’t end there. Teaming up with Niño Alcantara, she also marched into the mixed doubles semifinals, dispatching Singapore’s Daniel Abadia and Wei Choo, 6–4, 6–3. 

The victory guaranteed the Philippines another podium finish and echoed their chemistry from the 2023 Asian Games, where they claimed bronze together.

Gold continued to surface in other corners. Agatha Wong once again stamped her legacy in wushu, capturing her sixth SEA Games gold after a composed and technically sharp showing in the taijijian–taijiquan event. In judo, the mixed team anchored by Chino Sy delivered another defining result, upsetting host Thailand in a gritty contest that highlighted the squad’s depth and discipline.

Some moments, though, carried significance beyond medals. The Filipinas silenced the home crowd in Chonburi by knocking out Thailand in the women’s football semifinals, advancing to the gold medal match via penalties after a tense 1–1 draw.

 Meanwhile, in weightlifting, Albert Delos Santos signaled the future by breaking the world juniors snatch record, a performance that resonated even without a gold finish.

In the volleyball teraflex, the Alas Pilipinas Women’s team are facing Indonesia in the bronze medal match. 

As of posting time Alas Pilipinas trails Indonesia 2-1,  26-28, 25-13, 28-30. 

By the end of the stretch, the Philippines remained sixth in the overall standings, within reach of Malaysia, bolstered by a growing collection of silvers and bronzes across swimming, judo, and other events. 

It wasn’t a day defined by sheer volume, but by traction — evidence that Team Philippines is settling into its stride, stacking meaningful performances as the SEA Games enter their most decisive phase.

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