Double gold medalist Carlos Yulo's impressive Olympic finish is not only a milestone for the Philippines but also for Southeast Asia.
Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam made the statement during his bilateral meeting with President Marcos at the Malacañan Palace on Thursday, Aug. 15.
“I should say, by the way, that, and you know, these things do matter. There’s just something very impressive about the performance of Filipino athletes at the Olympic games,” Shanmugaratnam said.
“Mr. Yulo’s two golds … he’s the only athlete from Southeast Asia, from an ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) nation whose had two Olympic golds ever. So, it’s a real milestone. It’s a real milestone for all of us. I mean, we shine a bit of a reflected glory of the Philippines,” he added.
The decorated Filipino gymnast bagged two gold medals in the men’s floor exercise and men’s vault finals of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
For his part, Marcos thanked the Singapore leader for his kind words to the Philippines and Filipino athletes. He also shared the same sentiment that the government is “just a reflected glory” of the athlete’s stellar performance during the Olympics.
“We had a bit of that just the other night when our Olympians came home, and came here. And that’s what I was telling everyone that tonight, it’s not about us. We’re just a reflected glory over here and trying to be part of the achievements of our athletes,” Marcos told the visiting Singapore leader.
“We’re very, very proud,” he added.
The President also shared how the Filipino people warmly welcomed the athletes when they were paraded in Manila after their heroes’ welcome late Tuesday.