From Asiad silver to an Olympic dream: Philippine archery sets its sights on LA 2028
THE SILVER MEDAL IS ALREADY IN THE HISTORY BOOKS. NOW, PHILIPPINE ARCHERY HAS A MUCH BIGGER TARGET.
Amaya Paz-Cojuangco did more than win a medal in Aichi-Nagoya.
She may have fired the opening arrow of a Philippine archery revival.
Cojuangco’s historic silver medal in the women’s individual compound gave the Philippines its best-ever Asian Games finish in archery and ended a 12-year wait for an Asiad podium appearance since Paul Dela Cruz’s bronze in 2014.
But the message from Philippine archery is clear:
THIS ISN’T THE FINISH. IT’S THE START.
Sports officials believe the breakthrough validates the decision to bring in South Korean coach Ryu Su Jeng, whose credentials include helping South Korea win five Olympic archery gold medals—two at Rio 2016 and three at Tokyo 2020.
Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick Gregorio called Ryu’s arrival one of the program’s most decisive moves.
And Ryu came to the Philippines with an ambitious promise.
Before the Asian Games, she challenged her athletes to deliver a medal—or she would return to Korea.
Cojuangco answered that challenge.
In the semifinals, the veteran archer produced one of the biggest moments of the Philippine campaign, edging South Korea’s Park Jungyoon, 142-141, to book a place in the gold medal match.
She eventually settled for silver after losing to Indonesia’s Nurisa Dian Ashrifah.
But the silver may prove to be worth far more than its color suggests.
Because while Cojuangco stood on the podium, Philippine archery was already looking beyond it.
Ryu and fellow Korean coach Hong Sung Chil have mapped out the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and the route will be anything but easy.
The Philippine archers are expected to tackle a grueling international qualifying circuit beginning with the 2027 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Shanghai in April, followed by stops in Antalya, Tijuana and Madrid.
And Cojuangco will not be walking that road alone.
She is expected to be paired with 18-year-old Mateusz Vaughn Johnson, the Davao City phenom who made waves in Singapore by sweeping three individual gold medals and the U18 Compound Men’s Championship at the Singapore Youth Archery Championships.
Experience meets youth.
A veteran meets a rising star.
And suddenly, Los Angeles doesn't look like a distant dream.
Cojuangco knows the road will be difficult.
“Hopefully we can make it to LA,” she said. “We will try to qualify either through the Olympic qualifiers or ranking points through these tournaments.”
That is the new target.
Not simply another Asian Games medal.
Not simply another podium finish.
LOS ANGELES.
The arrows have been fired. The blueprint is already drawn.
Now Philippine archery has to prove that Aichi-Nagoya was not a one-time breakthrough—but the beginning of something much bigger.
ASIAN GAMES SILVER TODAY. OLYMPIC DREAM TOMORROW. THE TARGET HAS NEVER BEEN HIGHER.
