NAGOYA, Japan — Amaya Paz-Cojuangco won the silver medal in the women’s compound individual archery event at the Asian Games on Thursday, giving the Philippines a major result as it prepares to pursue qualification for the compound mixed-team event at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Cojuangco lost to Indonesia’s Nurisa Dian Ashrifah, 139-137, in the final at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square.
The final remained tied through four ends before Ashrifah outscored Cojuangco, 29-27, in the fifth and final end to secure the gold medal.
Cojuangco’s silver ended a 12-year wait for another Philippine Asian Games medal in archery. Paul Marton Dela Cruz previously won bronze in the men’s individual compound event at the 2014 Incheon Games.
The result also gives Philippine archery an opportunity to build toward the 2028 Olympics, where compound archery will make its Olympic debut in the mixed-team event.
“LA (Los Angeles) Olympics 2028 has included a mixed team compound event, and hopefully we can make it there. We will try to qualify either through the Olympic qualifiers and ranking points,” Cojuangco said.
The Philippines still needs to qualify a mixed pair for the Los Angeles Games. Philippine archery officials have considered pairing Cojuangco with 18-year-old Mateusz Vaughn Johnson, one of the country’s emerging compound archers.
Johnson won three gold medals at the Singapore Youth Archery Championships in July in the under-18 individual, team and mixed-team compound events.
World Archery has allocated places for 12 mixed teams at the 2028 Olympics.
The Asian Games result also reinforced Philippine archery officials’ support for the national program under South Korean coach Ryu Su-jeng and fellow Korean coach Hong Sung-chil.
Ryu previously helped South Korea win five Olympic gold medals before joining the Philippine program.
“The win of one is the win of all. The team is ecstatic. It’s a wonderful team dynamic nurtured by coaches Ryu Su-jeng and Hong Sung-chil,” Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Patrick Gregorio said.
Gregorio also credited Ryu’s appointment with strengthening the national archery program.
World Archery Philippines president Bing Reaport said Ryu brought technical expertise and a competitive approach to the team.
Reaport said Ryu challenged the athletes to win a medal at the Asian Games and told them she would resign and return to South Korea if they failed to do so.
“She told the team never in her career that she did not win a medal, whether it is a small or a major tournament,” Reaport said.