BANGKOK—A record-breaking Philippine delegation challenges the region’s best, fueled by a mix of Olympic veterans, rising global stars, and the defending champions of a beloved team sports as the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) comes off the wraps on Tuesday with what organizers promise to be a captivating opening ceremony at the Rajamangala National Stadium.
Set against the backdrop of Bangkok and Chonburi, Team Pilipinas is sending its largest-ever contingent—estimated at up to 1,600 athletes and officials—tasked with the goal of surpassing or at least maintaining the country’s fifth-place ranking in the 2023 Cambodia games.
“The goal is to match the output in Cambodia,” Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino told members of the POC Media Pool in a press conference after the SEA Games Federation Council Meeting at the Grand Four Winds Convention Hotel on Monday.
The Philippines harvested 58 golds, 86 silvers and 116 bronze medals for a fifth-place finish behind Vietnam (136-105-114), Thailand (108-96-108), Indonesia (87-80-109) and Cambodia (81-74-127).
Tolentino, however, cautioned about the combat sports results going Thailand’s favor as the host are expected to go all out to dominate the games.
“We’re sure about that, so I told our athletes in combat sports to go for the knockout, submission or a decisive victory,” he said.
The spirit of the delegation, meanwhile, is perfectly captured by its flagbearers for the opening ceremony—tennis sensation Alexandra “Alex” Eala and volleyball veteran Bryan Bagunas, who along with a reduced 150 members of Team Philippines are set to wear during the parade of nations, fashion designer and sports advocate’s Avel Bacudio’s “Laro ng Lahi” collection.
Both Eala and Bagunas are arriving Monday, just in time for their flag-bearing duties.
The hosts said King of Thailand Vajiralongkorn will attend the opening ceremony and all local enforcers—from the police to the military to the royal guards—will implement lockdowns, thus limiting the supposedly 300-athlete Philippine representation to the ceremony to 75 percent.
Tolentino also stressed that only Filipino athletes will join the march in the opening ceremony set 6 p.m. local time.
“It’s their time, this is for the athletes,” he said.
The games that drew 12,506 athletes from 11 Southeast Asian nations participating in 574 events in 50 sports, will now be played in two main hubs — Bangkok and Chonburi — instead of three because Songkhla suffered massive flooding in recent weeks.
Filipino fans will be pinning their hopes on several key athletes expected to deliver gold medals, led by Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo (weightlifting), the two-time Olympic medalist and reigning champion, who will be aiming for another gold in what could be her final SEA Games’ appearance.
Weightlifting will take place in the Chonburi cluster – at the Olympic Gymnasium, Chonburi Sports School from December 13 to 17, 2025
Fresh off a breakthrough season that saw her break into the WTA Top 50, Eala is targeting her maiden SEA Games’ gold medal in the women’s singles event.
The tennis competitions will run for 10 days at the National Tennis Development Centre (LTAT) in Nonthaburi (Bangkok Cluster) until December 19, starting with the men’s and women’s team events on the 10th.
Also in the spotlight is EJ Obiena (pole vault), the double Olympian, who will be looking to dominate his event, where he remains the regional record holder and a world-class competitor.
Spearheaded by Olympic medalists Nesthy Petecio, Aira Villegas and Eumir Marcial, the seasoned boxing team is once again expected to be a major source of medals, defending the Philippines’ status as a regional boxing powerhouse.
All eyes will also be on Gilas Pilipinas as they defend their crown in basketball, where naturalized players, as well as any other player, who obtained the relevant passport after age 16 are not eligible to play.
Thailand, however, allegedly allowed naturalized players in baseball, which the POC vowed to look into.
The Alas Pilipinas men’s and women’s volleyball teams, along with the softball teams, are also anticipated to put on strong performances.
The women’s volleyball team begins its campaign on Thursday against the hosts, while the men’s squad takes on Myanmar on Saturday at the Indoor Stadium Huamark, Bangkok.
Expectations are being tempered by the host country’s decision to remove or limit certain events, where Filipino athletes traditionally excel, most notably in cue sports (pool) and the strict single-apparatus limit in individual gymnastics, which forced Paris Olympics’ double-gold medalist Carlos Yulo out of the games.
Despite the challenges, officials remain optimistic that the sheer size of the delegation, which includes a focus on exposing young talent from grassroots programs, will create “surprises” and deliver a strong medal haul.
While specific details are being kept under wraps to preserve the element of surprise, organizers have consistently highlighted two central pillars for the games – a “Green SEA Games”, which aims to promote environmental sustainability, achieve net-zero emissions and set a model for future regional sports events; and the “Unforgettable Thai Culture and Sport” theme, designed to reflect Thailand’s rich cultural heritage while showcasing its modern sporting capabilities and position as a key regional hub.
The opening ceremony is expected to feature a blend of famous Thai actors, singers, and athletes—both past champions and rising stars. International media reports have pointed to the participation of globally recognized figures, including Thai celebrities who have achieved fame abroad, such as K-pop star BamBam (Kunpimook Bhuwakul) of GOT7.
The ceremony will be broadcast live across Southeast Asia, with the hosts looking to make a powerful statement that puts recent organizational difficulties firmly in the past and focuses the region’s attention on the 11 days of competition ahead.
