Filipina athletes have been writing sports history for the Philippines for decades now.
It is an important time for women in sports. Around the world, not only are women’s leagues and competitions garnering more attention, but female athletes are also gaining more opportunities than ever before.
This is especially true in the Philippines. Over the last decade or so, Filipina athletes have been proudly representing the country in big ways, from the professional level to the Olympic stage. And as they continue to bring pride to their fellow Filipinos, they are also opening more doors for more women to enter the arena.
As we celebrate International Women’s Month this March, The GAME proudly presents its list of the top 10 most influential Filipina athletes of all time — women who have inspired fellow women through sports.
Rubilen Amit
As a Filipino billiards player, Rubilen Amit walks in the footsteps of giants like Efren “Bata” Reyes — and she has proven that she can more than hold her own.
Also known as “Bingkay,” Amit is one of the most influential Filipina athletes because of her contributions to the sport of billiards in the Philippines, especially for female players. As a two-time World Women’s 10-Ball Champion and a 10-time Southeast Asian Gold Medalist, she has proven that she belongs among the top players in the world.
But beyond this, what truly makes Amit an influential Filipina athlete is her drive to give back. With initiatives like the Amit Cup, a 9-ball billiards tournament she established to support young women, she is providing an important platform for those who dream of making it in this sport — a dream that, as Amit has proven herself, is more than possible.
Bong Coo
Olivia “Bong” Coo is a legend in Philippine sports as she is recognized as one of the country’s most decorated athletes. As a professional bowler who reigned in the ’70s and ’80s, she won three World Tenpin Bowling Championships, eight gold medals from the Southeast Asian Gold Medals, five from the Asian Games, and fourteen Asian Championship titles (along with many more).
With the accolades she accumulated throughout her career, she became a highly distinguished athlete globally. She was inducted into the World Bowling Hall of Fame and was even named one of the “Greatest International Bowlers of All-Time.”
Coo became one of the biggest sports stars in the Philippines during her time and set a golden standard of what is possible for Filipina athletes, even in more niche sports such as bowling.
Lydia De Vega
She was known as “Asia’s Fastest Woman” for a reason — Lydia De Vega was a dominant force in the track and field scene in the 1980s. Representing the Philippines, she has won gold medals in major competitions in Asia: four gold medals from the Asian Athletics Championships, two from the Asian Games, and nine from the Southeast Asian Games.
But her influence wasn’t just about the number of medals she won throughout her career, which began as early as the age of 15. More than this, De Vega proved that Filipinas aren’t just among the best — rather, they can be the best of the best, which she definitely was.
In 1980, for instance, she won two gold medals from the ASEAN Cup and broke the record for the 400-meter event, finishing in just 54.6 seconds, the fastest by any Asian woman at the time.
The two-time Olympian has gone down in Philippine sports history as one of the country’s best Filipina athletes of all time.
Hidilyn Diaz
A national athlete turned national hero — Hidilyn Diaz became the golden standard of what Filipina athletes can achieve with hard work, dedication, and belief.
Diaz started weightlifting when she was only 10 years old and at the time, with limited resources available, she trained with makeshift concrete barbells. But this was enough to begin a career filled with major achievements, highlighted by four Olympic berths. It was in Rio 2016 that she became the first Filipino to win an Olympic medal in 20 years, when she won the silver medal for her event. But what truly cemented Diaz’s place among the Philippines’ best athletes of all time — male or female — was when, in 2020, she went one big step further to win the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal.
With this, Diaz has inspired an entire generation of Filipino athletes, showing them by example that it is possible to be one of the best in the world — and now, she is creating more opportunities for others to follow in her lead. By donating weightlifting equipment and establishing her own gym facilities around the country, Diaz is leaving a legacy that will last a lifetime.
Alex Eala
She may be young, turning only 20 years old this year, but Alex Eala is already arguably one of the most influential Filipina athletes of all time.
After Eala won the US Open Junior Grand Slam Singles title in 2022, her face was on billboards all over Metro Manila and her name was on countless headlines and social media posts. This was a feat in itself; by becoming the first Filipino, male or female, to win a Grand Slam title, she brought more attention to the sport of tennis, which has historically lacked a strong following in the Philippines.
Now, Filipinos consistently keep track of Eala’s whereabouts, especially as she continues her search for a Grand Slam berth. In fact, she was one of the most searched Filipino athletes in 2024, proving her influence, even at a young age.
Josie Gabuco
Though it is one of the most popular sports in the Philippines, boxing has, historically, been dominated by male athletes. But Josie Gabuco will go down in Philippine sports history by breaking that notion.
Gabuco famously won the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in 2012, becoming the first Filipino to do so. On top of this, she has also made her mark in major competitions in the region, highlighted by her five Southeast Asian gold medals — after winning three, she became the Filipina to do so, and her fifth made her just the second boxer in SEA Games history to win five medals.
Punching her way to becoming one of the most recognized Filipina boxers has blazed a trail for more Filipinas to follow her path, especially as an athlete who pursued the sport to build a career for herself.
Elma Muros-Posadas
If the Philippines raised “Asia’s Fastest Woman” in Lydia De Vega, it also birthed Elma Muros-Posadas, who earned the nickname “Long Jump Queen” for her incredible performances as a track and field athlete.
Competing in the long jump and heptathlon events of athletics, Muros-Posadas is easily one of the most decorated Filipino track and field athletes of all time. She won 15 gold medals from the Southeast Asian Games, raising the standards of Philippine athletics. But what truly made her a queen in the sport? She formerly held a number of records for many different events including 400m hurdles, the heptathlon, the 4x400m relay, and the indoor long jump.
Having reigned in the ’80s and ’90s, her longevity also made her one of the most influential athletes of her time. With years of dominating the region, she became an inspiring figure for many more Filipina athletes around the country.
Nesthy Petecio
Through the years, the achievements of national athletes have only gotten better and better and Nesthy Petecio is one of the Filipinas who is proof of this. The Filipina boxer made history when she won a silver medal in the women’s featherweight event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. This marked the country’s second Olympic medal that year.
Petecio returned to the following Olympic Games, held in Paris in 2024, aiming for yet another medal, and though she was striving for gold, she still pulled off a big achievement, adding a bronze medal to her list of impressive accolades.
These titles are nothing short of groundbreaking, especially for a woman competing in a sport traditionally dominated by male athletes. With her perseverance and dedication to her sport, she has proven that Filipinas can excel in combat sports on the world stage.
Akiko Thomson
As far as swimming goes, Akiko Thomson is still the top-of-mind Filipino athlete who best represents the sport. After all, she is one of the most successful swimmers in Philippine sports history, having represented the country in three Olympic Games and her eight Southeast Asian Games gold medals.
As a dominant force in Southeast Asia, Thomson set multiple records that remained unbroken for many years. For instance, her women’s senior 200m backstroke record, which Thomson set back in 1992, was only broken 26 years later by a Filipino-Australian teenager.
Thomson set a longstanding legacy for herself and brought attention to the sport through her achievements, but even after her retirement from the sport, she continues to serve Filipino athletes. After her swimming career, she became a commissioner for the Philippine Sports Commission and is currently involved in the country’s Special Olympics chapter, helping to make sports more accessible to all.
Alyssa Valdez
Alyssa Valdez is known as the “Phenom” for good reason. A two-time UAAP Women’s Volleyball Champion and former MVP, she rose to fame when she was still playing at the college level for the Ateneo Lady Eagles. But her impact on Philippine sports goes way beyond her achievements at the college or professional level.
Valdez is one of the biggest volleyball stars in the Philippines, if not the biggest, and her popularity is heavily intertwined with the rise of volleyball in the country. Ever since she rose to fame at the college level, the sport has reached new heights over the years to the point where the Premier Volleyball League has its own cult-like following.
Because she was one of the “pioneers” of volleyball’s rise to fame, she has also become the face of Philippine volleyball, as she helped to increase the visibility of the sport in the country. In doing so, she also inspires many young players now to compete in the sport and pursue it as a career.
She has truly set the standard, and like the other women on this list, she is definitely one of the most influential Filipina athletes of all time.
Banner images from AFP, PSC/POC, and PVL.