A year ago, Team Manila was barely on the radar — finishing a distant 84th with just a single gold medal at the Batang Pinoy National Championships.
Today, the Manila athletes stand proudly among the nation’s elite, climbing all the way to fifth place overall in the 2025 edition of the youth games, with an impressive 43 golds, 37 silvers, and 32 bronzes.
The dramatic turnaround was fueled by the grit and glory of 17-year-old swimmer Patricia Santor, whose seven-medal haul — six golds and one bronze — made her one of the most bemedalled athletes of the entire tournament held in General Santos City.
Her golds came from dominant performances in the girls’ 16–17 200-meter butterfly and a record-breaking swim in the 4×50-meter freestyle relay, among others.
“I really gave everything in training for this,” said Santor, whose name has now become synonymous with Manila’s resurgence in grassroots sports.
She wasn’t alone. Teammates Aishel Evangelista and Shiblon Montera also delivered strong showings in the pool, while Jordane Sales shone in the 12–13 girls division. Their combined success in swimming anchored Manila’s historic leap from the bottom ranks to the top five.
“Now, we’re in the top 5. Siguro, it’s the delivery and the leadership,” said Dale Evangelista, chairman of the Manila Sports Council, attributing the team’s success to renewed focus, discipline, and unity.
“Mayor Isko Moreno gave a lot of support to the athletes — from coaches to the grassroots program that got this started. The athletes sacrificed so much for this moment.”
Manila’s medal haul wasn’t limited to the pool — the city’s young tracksters also sprinted and leapt their way to podium finishes in athletics, showing that the capital’s sports program is now thriving across disciplines.
While Pasig City successfully defended its Batang Pinoy overall crown with a 95-72-87 gold-silver-bronze tally, followed by Baguio City and Davao City, Manila’s comeback story became one of the tournament’s most inspiring narratives.
From nearly last to fifth in just one year, Team Manila’s journey embodied the true spirit of the Batang Pinoy — youth, perseverance, and the power of believing that champions can rise from anywhere.
