All news tagged PhilippineArchery

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.

𝗡𝗢 𝗚𝗢𝗟𝗗, 𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗔 𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗖 𝗦𝗜𝗟𝗩𝗘𝗥!  

The veteran archer delivered a landmark performance at the 20th Asian Games in Japan, capturing the Philippines’ first-ever silver medal in archery after a thrilling gold-medal match at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square.

More importantly, Cojuangco became the first Filipino archer to reach an Asian Games gold-medal match—a feat that had eluded the country for decades.

She went toe-to-toe with Indonesia’s Nurisa Dian Ashrifah, splitting the first four ends before the Indonesian archer edged the deciding fifth end, 29-27, to win by just 139-137.

That two-point margin says everything about how close this battle was.

Cojuangco’s road to the final was just as impressive. She dominated Iran’s Bita Asheghzadeh Oskouei, 146-135, firing three perfect 30-point ends, before surviving South Korea’s Park Jungyoon, 142-141, in a nail-biting semifinal.

A silver medal? Absolutely.

But this feels bigger than silver.

Cojuangco has now pushed the ceiling of Philippine archery higher than ever before, surpassing the bronze won by Paul Marton Dela Cruz in 2014 as the country’s best-ever Asian Games finish in the sport.

THE PHILIPPINES HAS ARRIVED IN ASIAN GAMES ARCHERY.  

And Amaya Cojuangco just made sure history will remember it.

South Korean Olympic champion coach Ryu Su Jeng, renowned for steering Korea to multiple Olympic gold medals, is being hailed as “a gift to Philippine archery” as she begins her second week working with the national team.

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Patrick Gregorio endorsed Ryu during her early days training Filipino archers, calling her arrival a major turning point for the country’s archery program.

Ryu’s résumé includes leading South Korea to two gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics and three more at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Now, she is helping Team Philippines prepare for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, with long-term plans for the 2026 Asian Games, 2027 World Youth Archery Championships, and potentially the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Despite offers from China and Mexico, Ryu chose the Philippines, believing the country has world-class talent. “In the SEA Games, we can win medals. Also in the Asian Games, even the gold. And in the Olympics, we can get to the quarterfinals and then, in the future, a medal,” Ryu said.

Her arrival stems from close coordination between the PSC and World Archery Philippines (WAP) president Bing Reaport, who praised Ryu for building a firm foundation for long-term development.

“We are very upbeat. The vision is to uplift archery in the country—new learnings, coaching skills, technical skills. What coach Ryu is doing right now is building the framework,” Reaport said. “The morale is really high. She already has a game plan for the SEA Games. Very strategic ang plans and she is happy with the progress.”

Discussions are underway for a 24-month contract that may also bring in another Korean coach. Gregorio stressed that investing in excellence is necessary: “If we want to be the best, get the best. Coach Ryu is a gift to archery in the Philippines.”

Filipino archers have been training seven days a week under Ryu’s demanding regimen. “In the first week of training, pinahirapan niya ang mga archers natin,” Reaport joked. “But they’re learning. Even the simple things help—the logic, discipline, focus, desire.”

Gregorio described this as the start of a new era: “This is the start of rebuilding archery in the Philippines—from grassroots to the elite level. A new beginning has begun, and exciting times are ahead.”