Cover Stories

25 Under 25: The Next Generation of Filipino Sports Heroes

By The Game Team - January 15, 2025

Just like that, it’s already 2025, and the decade is almost halfway through. So we asked ourselves, who are the top 25 Filipino athletes under the age of 25?

The year that just passed produced several Filipino sporting heroes whose exploits will forever be remembered. Now, 2025 is upon us, and as we move towards the halfway point of the 2020s, The GAME has picked the 25 Filipino athletes under the age of 25 who we think will carry the flag and bring glory to Philippine sports for the rest of the decade.

This list is, of course, subject to debate; strong cases could be made for a half-dozen or so other young athletes. We chose athletes whose birth year is no earlier than 2001, and we chose them based largely on their current list of accomplishments, and where we think they will be in the next few years. We also made sure that as many sports as possible are represented.

In alphabetical order, we present our 25 Under 25:

The GAME 25 Under 25: Bella Belen
Bella Belen has been winning medals and trophies since high school. (Photo credit: UAAP Media Bureau)

Bella Belen, 22 (Volleyball)

Mhicaela “Bella” Belen has long been associated with success throughout her time in the high school and now collegiate ranks. The 22-year-old was part of Nazareth School-NU’s four-peat in UAAP girls volleyball and was a Palarong Pambansa winner with the National Capital Region in 2019.

Bella is the UAAP’s first-ever Rookie of the Year-MVP in the women’s volleyball tournament and has led the Lady Bulldogs to two UAAP seniors’ titles within a span of three seasons. She also secured her second UAAP women’s volleyball MVP last year, with a top 10 finish in both digging (3.20 digs per set) and receiving (48.30 percent efficiency) accompanying her equally potent offense.

Bella has also carried the flag in regional tournaments and was part of the bronze medal-winning Alas Pilipinas program in the SEA V.League last August 2024. She’s still easing herself into the revamped program, but her youth and all-around brilliance make her an invaluable addition for the long haul.

 RJ Ballecer

The GAME 25 Under 25: Buds Buddin
Buds Buddin has shown he deserves to be in the Alas Pilipinas pool. (Photo credit: UAAP Media Bureau)

Michaelo ‘Buds’ Buddin, 23 (Volleyball)

After being excluded from the original Alas Pilipinas pool, 23-year-old Michaelo “Buds” Buddin has emerged as a welcome revelation under new head coach Angiolino Frigoni.

In his debut at the SEA V.League last August, Buds took home back-to-back Best Outside Hitter awards. Averaging 13 points across six games played, Buds showed his mettle as one of the Nationals’ main gunners in the two-leg meet, filling the shoes of Japan-bound Marck Espejo and the injured Bryan Bagunas.

Buds is also a two-time UAAP champion with National University and is expected to be one of their leaders in their bid for a men’s volleyball five-peat this Season 88. And with the FIVB Men’s World Championships coming up, it won’t be a surprise if he’ll get a spot in the nationals’ upcoming homestand this September.  

 RJ Ballecer

The GAME 25 Under 25: Bianca Bustamante
Bianca Bustamante is the Philippines’ biggest racing driver. (Photo credit: McLaren on Instagram)

Bianca Bustamante, 20 (Motorsports)

Bianca Bustamante has already done her part in proving that against the odds, a Filipino can make it in the cutthroat world of motorsports — but at just 20 years old, she is far from done. 

Bianca is easily the biggest racing driver to come out of the Philippines. After she made her breakthrough on the international level with the W Series in 2022, she earned an exclusive seat in the F1 Academy, a Formula 4-level racing championship dedicated to female racers from all over the world. In her first season, driving for Prema Racing, she even notched her first race win as a Formula driver with a victory in Spain, just before winning in Monza again a few races later. At the end of the 2023 season, McLaren announced the signing of the Filipina to the highly-esteemed McLaren Driver Development Program, becoming the first female driver in history to do so. 

In 2025, she’s set for a new challenge: racing in the GB3 Championship for Elite Motorsport. With every step in her career, she continues to be the face of Philippine racing. 

 Annika Cañiza

The GAME 25 Under 25: Angel Canino (volleyball)
Angel Canino is a volleyball star on the rise. (Photo credit: UAAP Media Bureau)

Angel Canino, 21 (Volleyball)

From being a hyped prospect in the juniors’ ranks, Angel Canino has established herself as one of Philippine volleyball’s finest young stars at just 21 years of age. The Bacolod native is already a one-time UAAP champion with the La Salle Lady Spikers and is the second-ever Rookie of the Year-MVP awardee in UAAP women’s volleyball tournament history. 

Angel’s talent was further showcased in her national team debut during the AVC Women’s Challenge Cup last May 2024 in Manila. At the time, Angel had to play as an opposite spiker instead of her natural outside hitter position. Despite this, she emerged as the nationals’ leading scorer with 78 points across six games played. Angel was also recognized as Best Opposite Spiker as she came up big in Alas’ historic bronze medal finish in the one-week tournament. 

The 21-year-old’s immense potential is accompanied by leadership and maturity beyond her years, further reinforcing her status as one of today’s best young players in Philippine volleyball. 

  RJ Ballecer 

The GAME 25 Under 25: Ruelle Canino (chess)
Ruelle Canino is already the second-highest-ranked Filipina chess player. (Photo credit: FIDE)

Ruelle Canino, 16 (Chess)

Already a Woman FIDE Master and on the cusp of achieving Woman FIDE Master status at the tender age of 16, Ruelle Canino is one of the most promising women’s chess prospects the Philippines has seen in a long time. 

At last year’s 45th Chess Olympiad in Hungary, as part of the Philippine women’s team that won the Category B Team Championship, Ruelle recorded five wins and five draws against just one loss, in the process taking down two higher-ranked Woman Grandmasters from Argentina and Romania. She came home to dominate the UAAP chess high school division for FEU-FERN, winning her second MVP before her 17th birthday. Ruelle is already the country’s second-highest-ranked women’s chess player, trailing only Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna. No doubt, she’s made all the right moves.

    Sid Ventura

The GAME 25 Under 25: David "FlapTzy" Canon (esports)
‘FlapTzy’ is already an MLBB star in the Philippines. (Photo credit: Moonton)

David ‘FlapTzy’ Canon, 20 (Esports)

The Philippines is the strongest country in the world of MLBB esports, making picking out just one of our many young and excellent players a difficult task. In the end, we have to give it to David “FlapTzy” for his remarkable career so far. 

Since joining Bren Esports in 2020 he’s made history multiple times, becoming the first Filipino team to win the M-series World Championship in 2021. They then became the first team to repeat as champions, winning it again in 2023 on home soil, where FlapTzy became the first player to have an honorary in-game skin for being the finals MVP. Beyond that, he’s a Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, a two-time MPL Philippines champion, plus a champion in multiple international tournaments including the IESF World Esports Championship. FlapTzy has achieved all of this just before turning 20 so we can’t wait to see just how much further he’ll go in the future.

  Ramon Domingo

The GAME 25 Under 25: Khieth Rynne Cruz (table tennis)
Kheith Rynne Cruz has her sights set on LA 2028. (Photo credit: San Francisco WTT Flickr)

Kheith Rynne Cruz, 18 (Table tennis)

Philippine table tennis has been in search of a new champion ever since Rio Olympian Ian Larriba tragically passed away too soon in 2018. It may have found one in 18-year-old Kheith Rynne Cruz, who made waves last year in various tournaments across the globe. 

A product of Paco Citizen Academy Foundation, Kheith captured the World Table Tennis (WTT) Youth Contender Westchester 2024 U19 girls singles division title held in Pleasantville, New York last April. This marked her second WTT youth contender championship after she topped the one held in Puerto Princesa eight months prior. Then in September, she captured her third WTT U19 title, topping the field in Podgorica, Montenegro. In between, she bagged a silver medal in another WTT event, this time in San Francisco. If her career trajectory goes according to plan, Kheith could be the Philippines’ first table tennis Olympian since Ian, as she aims to make it to Los Angeles in 2028. 

    Sid Ventura

The GAME 25 Under 25: Lord Aragorn de Vera (baseball)
Lord Aragorn de Vera got an invite from an MLB team for an individual workout. (Photo credit: UAAP Media Bureau)

Lord Aragorn de Vera, 22 (Baseball)

The name Lord Aragorn de Vera stands out in the tight-knit baseball community of the Philippines — and it isn’t just because he was named after the famous character from The Lord of the Rings. More commonly known as ‘Agon,’ the 22-year-old shortstop is one of the country’s rising baseball stars. Playing for De La Salle University in the UAAP, he was a key figure in leading the Green Batters to their Season 85 championship, as well as their silver-medal finish in Season 86. Going past the collegiate level, he still carries as much influence. Playing for the Philippine Men’s National Baseball Team as their starting shortstop, he has already competed in the 2023 Asian Baseball Championship and the 2022 Asian Games. 

In June last year, it was announced that Agon was formally invited to an individual workout with an MLB team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Though just an invitation, this in itself shows that even in a country with limited baseball opportunities, players like Agon can still push the limits on what is possible for young players passionate about the sport. 

Annika Cañiza

The GAME 25 Under 25: Alex Eala (tennis)
Alex Eala continues to climb the WTA rankings. (Photo credit: AFP)

Alex Eala, 19 (Tennis)

She is yet to turn 20, but already Alex Eala has achieved unparalleled success as a Filipino tennis player. At 17, she won the US Open girls’ singles title, becoming the first player from the Philippines to win a juniors single Grand Slam title. Earlier this year, Alex continued to break new ground, reaching a career-high 136 on the WTA rankings, the highest ever for a Filipina. She also qualified for the main draw of the Madrid Open, where she booked her first career WTA 1000 win in the first round, and won the singles and doubles titles of the Open Araba en Femenino, the singles without dropping a single set. Alex enters 2025 still in pursuit of a first appearance in the main draw of a Grand Slam, which when it happens — and it’s really a matter of when — would once again make history.

    Sid Ventura

The GAME 25 Under 25: Ana Espenilla (athletics)
Ana Bhianca Espenilla has been making strides in javelin competitions. (Photo credit: PATAFA Instagram)

Ana Bhianca Espenilla, 17 (Athletics – javelin)

The Philippines’ javelin national pool is in, quite literally, good hands with the emergence of Ana Bhianca Espenilla in 2024. Ana, who turns 18 in February, has been dominating local opposition for quite some time now, winning the gold in the Batang Pinoy and Palarong Pambansa national competitions. She struck gold at the SEA U18 Athletics Championships last November with a throw of 49.33 meters. She also gave a good account of herself in the Asian scene, placing sixth in last year’s Asian U20 Athletics Championships held in Dubai after throwing the javelin to a distance of 47.0 meters. These marks are still a few meters short of the national record of 53.75, but considering she won’t turn 20 until 2027, there’s a good chance Ana will breach that mark before the end of the decade.

    Sid Ventura

The GAME 25 Under 25: Aleah Finnegan (gymnastics)
Aleah Finnegan made history at the Paris Olympics. (Photo credit: International Gymnastics Federation on Facebook)

Aleah Finnegan, 22 (Gymnastics)

Aleah Finnegan has been on a steady rise since she started representing the Philippines in 2022. Aleah immediately impressed in her debut at the 31st Southeast Asian Games, winning two gold medals for team and vault along with another pair of silvers in all-around and balance beam. 

Aleah didn’t take long to reach new heights, as she became the first Filipina gymnast in the Olympics after 60 long years. The St. Louis native was part of the Philippines’ centennial team at the Paris Olympics, where she was joined by Emma Malabuyo and Levi Jung-Ruivivar in the women’s artistic gymnastics competition. 

Outside of her national team commitments, Aleah competes with Louisiana State University (LSU) in the US NCAA Division 1. The 22-year-old helped the Tigers win their first NCAA gymnastics last year, while taking home an individual gold medal in the floor exercise. 

Given her growing history of success, it’s only a matter of time before Aleah makes history once more for herself and the Philippines. 

RJ Ballecer

The GAME 25 Under 25: Isabella Flanigan (football)
Isabella Flanigan has represented the Philippines in both football and futsal. (Photo credit: Philippine Football Federation)

Isabella Flanigan, 19 (Football)

Isabella Flanigan is already becoming one of the most recognizable figures in the Philippines’ women’s football scene. She began representing the Philippine National Women’s Football Team in 2022 when she competed in the AFF U18 Women’s Championship. At the time, she was only 17 years old, and since then, the forward has become recognized as one of the most promising youngsters among female footballers in the country — so much so that she was included in the 23-woman roster that represented the Philippines in their historic 2022 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign. 

Now, she is continuing to represent the flag, this time in the futsal scene. She was recently called up to be a part of the Philippine Women’s National Futsal Team that is competing in the 2025 AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers in preparation for yet another historic event happening later this year: the first-ever FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup, hosted in the Philippines. 

A historic World Cup call-up, and another one on the horizon. Not bad for someone who is just about to enter her 20th year. 

Annika Cañiza

The GAME 25 Under 25: Leonard Grospe (athletics - high jump)
Leonard Grospe has reset the national high jump mark more than once. (Photo credit: Philippine Sports Commission Facebook)

Leonard Grospe, 23 (Athletics – high jump)

High jump specialist Leonard Grospe had a very productive 2024. He won the gold at last year’s ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships by clearing 2.18 meters before smashing his own national record of 2.20 meters with a jump of 2.21 in the 2024 Thailand Track and Field Championships. It was the second time in six months that he reset the national record. In fact, Leonard, just 23, holds the three best Philippine marks for men’s high jump. As of now, he stands alone atop the mountain in his discipline, with the owner of the fourth-best mark, his own coach, long retired. Leonard will look to improve on his fifth-place finish at the 2023 Phnom Penh Southeast Asian Games and hopefully land a podium finish this time around in Bangkok.

    Sid Ventura

The GAME 25 Under 25: Bjorn Kristensen (Football)
Bjørn Kristensen has shown his scoring prowess for the PMNFT. (Photo credit: Philippine Football Federation)

Bjørn Martin Kristensen, 22 (Football)

The no. 10 jersey in football carries a big weight. It usually signifies the team’s top goal scorer, and history will show that the names etched above this number are football royalty: Pelé, Maradona, Messi, Zidane, Platini.

In the local scene, the Philippines’ leading international goal scorer, Phil Younghusband, proudly wore the no. 10 for over a decade while terrorizing opposing defenses. But now that PYH has retired, the burden of wearing his number has fallen on the shoulders of 22-year-old Bjorn Martin Kristensen. And so far, the young striker has proven up to the task. In just 11 international caps for the Philippine Men’s National Football Team (PMNFT), Kristensen has already scored five times, including three in the recent 2024 AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup. Kristensen is certain to feature in the coming years for the rebooted national team, and if he continues his goal-scoring spree at this pace, Phil’s record of 52 could be within — pardon the pun — striking distance by the time he turns 30. 

    Sid Ventura

The GAME 25 Under 25: Alexandre 'AK' Laverez (Esports)
AK Laverez is the Philippines’ best Tekken player. (Photo credit: Robert Paul Photography)

Alexandre ‘AK’ Laverez, 24 (Esports)

As the best Tekken player in the Philippines, Alexandre “AK” Laverez has been playing competitively since he was 13 years old. He made a splash when he finished third in the 2013 King of Iron Fist Global Championship, taking down known international heavy hitters to get there. Since then he has consistently shown up as a top seed in both regional and international tournaments. Despite this, he’s somewhat seen as the ‘King of Second Place’ as he’s fallen short time and again from winning the many Major tournaments he’s attended. For us, that’s a positive as it shows that no matter the game or meta, AK can always swing with the best of them. It’s what makes his first international Major victory at Combo Breaker 2024 so important. Even now at the age of 24, he still has the potential to go even further and really solidify his name in the Tekken scene.

Ramon Domingo

The GAME 25 Under 25: Rianne Malixi (golf)
Rianne Malixi is the next big thing in Philippine golf. (Photo credit: Rianne Malixi on Instagram)

Rianne Malixi, 17 (Golf)

If you don’t know the name Rianne Malixi yet, it’s only a matter of time before you do. At only 17 years old, she is already making her case as the Philippines’ next best thing in golf. 

A rising golf prodigy, the young Filipina already has quite a résumé of successes from her competitions in the international amateur golf scene: second place at the US Girls Junior Amateur Championship, a top-four finish from the IMG Academy Junior World Championship, runner-up at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley, and even more top 10 finishes in other global ranking tournaments. But perhaps most notably so far, in 2024, Rianne won both the US Girls’ Junior title and the United States Women’s Amateur Golf Championship, becoming only the second amateur golfer to accomplish such a feat. 

Now, the rising star is set to hone her talents at Duke University, a school that boasts a strong golf program, as she sets her eyes on the professional scene and even the 2028 Olympics. 

Annika Cañiza

The GAME 25 Under 25: Naomi Panganiban (basketball)
Naomi Panganiban showed serious game in the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup. (Photo credit: FIBA)

Naomi Panganiban, 18 (Basketball)

At 18, Naomi Panganiban has already shown she has what it takes to be the face of Philippine women’s basketball for the rest of the decade. Naomi was instrumental in helping the country gain promotion to Division A of the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup last year in China, averaging a team-high 15.0 points per game in the tournament that the Gilas Girls swept by an average of 51.0 points. Six weeks later, she made her senior team debut, averaging 12.0 points per game for Gilas Women in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Rwanda. 

Naomi has also made her US NCAA Division 1 debut with the San Diego State Aztecs, where she is averaging just over 10 points per game as a freshman. Standing five-foot-seven, Naomi has demonstrated wisdom and skills beyond her years at the point guard position and should be a regular fixture for Gilas Women in the years to come.

    Sid Ventura

The GAME 25 Under 25: Kevin Quiambao (basketball)
KQ has been the best Filipino college basketball player over the last two years. (Photo credit: UAAP Media Bureau)

Kevin Quiambao, 23 (Basketball)

Over the last two years, one college basketball player has stood head and shoulders above the rest: Kevin Quiambao. 

In UAAP Season 86, Quiambao emerged as the star player for the DLSU Green Archers. The 23-year-old’s expert ball-handling skills, sharpshooting, and excellent basketball IQ led La Salle to their first UAAP title in seven years. The following year saw an improved version of KQ as he led the team in scoring, and even notched a career-high record of 33 points. Although the Archers came up short of back-to-back titles, his all-around dominance earned him back-to-back MVP awards — making him the first local basketball player to do so since Kiefer Ravena in 2014-15. He has even become one of just two college players included in Tim Cone’s Gilas Pilipinas roster. 

After the conclusion of Season 87, the UAAP champion announced that he would be taking on the next chapter of his career: playing for the Goyang Sono Skygunners in the Korean Basketball League. And if his rise to the top has been any indication, it’s only a matter of time before he steals the spotlight once again. 

Annika Cañiza

The GAME 25 Under 25: Daniel Quizon (chess)
Daniel Quizon became the Philippines’ latest Grandmaster last year. (Photo credit: FIDE)

Daniel Quizon, 20 (Chess)

Twenty-twenty-four was a good year for Philippine chess. First, the women’s team bagged the Group B gold medal in the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad, with their 24th-place finish being the country’s highest in nearly 40 years. Secondly, in the same event, 20-year-old prodigy Daniel Quizon became the Philippines’ newest chess grandmaster after compiling an overall record of five wins, one loss, and two draws, including a huge victory over super GM Dmitrij Kollars of Germany that clinched his final GM norm. 

Daniel shared board 1 duties with GM Julio Catalino Sadorra, a position reserved only for the best chess players of the participating countries. Prior to the Chess Olympiad, Daniel finished sixth in the tough Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival with seven wins over nine rounds, highlighted by four wins over higher-rated GMs to underscore his readiness to be elevated to the sport’s highest level.

Sid Ventura

The GAME 25 Under 25: Sandro Reyes (football)
Sandro Reyes (left) is well on his way to becoming the face of the PMNFT. (Photo credit: Philippine Football Federation)

Sandro Reyes, 21 (Football)

If the Philippine Men’s National Football Team needs one standout individual to become the face of the team — in the same way that the Younghusbands were the faces of the Azkals — it may as well be Sandro Reyes. 

Those who keep tabs on Philippine football have probably known about Sandro Reyes since he was nine years old when he received the rare opportunity to join FC Barcelona’s youth academy. In the minds of many, this made Sandro the country’s football prodigy, and now, at the age of 21, he is living up to the hype. The midfielder played a huge role in the PMNFT’s ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup campaign that saw them go all the way to the semifinals and put Southeast Asian powerhouses Vietnam and Thailand to the test. He even scored two beautiful goals, one against Laos and one over Thailand in the semis, and was entrusted with the captain’s armband. This campaign is being hailed as a sign of good things to come for Philippine football, and as one of the most promising young players in the squad, Reyes could unlock this team’s full potential. 

Annika Cañiza

The GAME 25 Under 25: Santi Rublico (football)
Santi Rublico is one of the rising stars of the PMNFT. (Photo credit: Philippine Men’s National Football Team on Facebook)

Santiago ‘Santi’ Rublico, 19 (Football)

Santiago “Santi” Rublico is one of the youngest players on the Philippine Men’s National Football Team, yet already, at just 19, he is one of the team’s rising stars. The five-foot-nine defender made his debut for the senior team in 2023 when he was only 18 years old and quickly made an impression. His sharp passes, intelligent assessments of the match, and all-around athleticism were a showcase of what he’s gained from an impressive youth career, playing for Spain’s Atlético Madrid and Rayo Vallecano’s youth teams — and they translate well whenever he puts on the Philippine jersey, which he has done just 13 times so far as of writing. 

Although he only played one match in the recent ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup, he made sure his presence was felt in the first semifinal leg against Thailand. The Philippines made many important defensive stops in order to secure that historic win — the country’s first win over the War Elephants in 52 years — and Santi had a huge hand in controlling the defense and going toe-to-toe with the opposition’s attackers. And those 90 minutes now have Filipino football fans craving to see more of Santi in matches to come. 

Annika Cañiza

The GAME 25 Under 25: Vanessa Sarno (weightlifting)
Vanessa Sarno is the heir apparent to Hidilyn Diaz. (Photo credit: Vanessa Sarno on Instagram)

Vanessa Sarno, 21 (Weightlifting)

Vanessa Sarno has been tagged as heir apparent to Hidilyn Diaz, and it’s easy to see why. 

Competing in the womens’ 71kg division, Vanessa is already a two-time Southeast Asian Games medalist in weightlifting, where she owns the competition record for snatch (105kg), clean and jerk (135kg, and total lift (239kg). The pride of Pagbilaran, Bohol is also a one-time Asian champion, ruling the 2021 Asian Weightlifting Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 

Vanessa’s career reached new heights in 2024, when she qualified for the Paris Olympics after lifting a total of 235 kg at the IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand. Vanessa’s Olympic ticket also came with a new national record of 110kg in snatch, which shattered her previous high of 108kg in the said event. 

And while Vanessa struggled in her Olympic debut, the future remains bright for her. If history is any indication, it won’t be long before she goes on another record-breaking lift for the Philippines. 

RJ Ballecer

The GAME 25 Under 25: Alyssa Solomon (volleyball)
Alyssa Solomon has been a winner at the collegiate level many times over. (Photo credit: UAAP Media Bureau)

Alyssa Solomon, 23 (Volleyball)

Most players of her height would have been developed as middle blockers in women’s volleyball, but Alyssa Solomon has grown into a skilled opposite spiker for the National Lady Bulldogs and Alas Pilipinas national team.

At just 23 years of age, Alyssa is already a two-time UAAP women’s volleyball champion, with her offense powering NU’s pair of title runs beginning in Season 84. Alyssa is also a two-time best opposite spiker in the UAAP and was hailed Finals MVP during their redemption tour in Season 86 last year. 

Like teammate Bella Belen, Alyssa is part of the Alas Pilipinas pool. She seems to be settling in just fine with the revamped program, winning another best opposite spiker award at the SEA V.League in August last year. 

RJ Ballecer

The GAME 25 Under 25: Kai Sotto (basketball)
Kai Sotto literally towered above the opposition in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. (Photo credit: FIBA)

Kai Sotto, 22 (Basketball)

We won’t see him on the court for the foreseeable future owing to the unfortunate knee injury he suffered early in the year, but that doesn’t mean Kai Sotto’s potential or his accomplishments last year have been diminished. At the time of his injury, Kai was averaging 13.8 points and 9.6 rebounds for the Koshigaya Alphas in the Japan B.League. He punctuated these impressive numbers with a solid performance for Gilas Pilipinas in the November window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers that showed to one and all that he had finally transformed into the version of Kai Sotto that Filipino hoops had been hoping to see: physical, able to finish through contact, great passing skills, and rim protector. Part of the fandom is still hoping that Kai one day makes it to the NBA, even with this injury, and while that remains an elusive dream, there can be no denying that Kai Sotto is the future of Philippine basketball.

  Sid Ventura

The GAME 25 Under 25: Karl Eldrew Yulo (gymnastics)
Karl Yulo is showing he’s more than just Caloy’s kid brother. (Photo credit: Philippine Sports Commission on Instagram)

Karl Eldrew Yulo, 16 (Gymnastics)

Apart from Carlos Yulo’s historic feats at the Paris Olympics, 2024 further highlighted the immense potential of his younger brother Karl Eldrew in the juniors’ division.  The 16-year-old Eldrew led the Philippines’ medal haul at the Pacific Rim Championships in April 2024, copping a pair of gold medals in floor and vault, along with three silvers in floor, pommel horse, and rings. 

In May, Eldrew improved on his silver medal in 2023 after securing the juniors’ gold medal at the 2024 Asian Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The youngster capped off an impressive year by ruling both team and individual competitions at the Chiu Wai Chung Cup in Hong Kong last December, resulting in a haul of eight gold medals in the regional tilt. 

And with another year of competitions ahead, we can all expect Eldrew to continue blazing his own trail as one of Philippine gymnastics’ most promising talents. 

RJ Ballecer

Banner images from UAAP Media Bureau, Philippine Football Federation, and AFP.

Related Stories