Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo and para swimmer Ernie Gawilan stood among seven Asian athletes celebrated by Toyota Motor Asia earlier this week for their medal-winning performances at the recent continental games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The recognition took place during the One Team Asia event in Nagoya, which brought together athletes and musicians from across the region to mark the conclusion of the Asian Games and Asian Para Games. The gathering combined sporting honors with a fresh regional music collaboration involving artists from several countries, Daily Tribune reported.
Yulo secured two gold medals in the men’s floor exercise and vault events, the first time the Philippines won two gold medals at the Asian Games. Gawilan continued his strong international run by capturing his third consecutive gold medal in the men’s 400-meter freestyle S7, alongside a silver in the men’s 200-meter individual medley SM7.
Both Filipino competitors participate in Toyota’s Global Team Toyota Athletes program, an initiative that supports seven competitors spanning Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
“The performances of the athletes demonstrated how personal determination could lead to achievements that encourage others,” Toyota Motor Asia vice president Preston Tan said.
Tan said that the company’s backing of the competitors extends past medals and records. He said that Toyota aims to provide avenues for individuals of different abilities and backgrounds to pursue their athletic goals.
Alongside the Filipino medalists, the manufacturer celebrated several other continental standouts. Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn earned his country’s first Asian Games gold medal in men’s singles badminton.
Indonesian para cyclist Muhammad Fadli Imamuddin claimed gold in the men’s C4 4,000-meter individual pursuit, setting a Games record of four minutes and 50.169 seconds. Singaporean para swimmer Toh Wei Soong collected five medals, consisting of two silvers and three bronzes.
Malaysia’s Muhammad Ammar Aiman Nor Azmi secured silver in the men’s 400-meter T20 with a time of 48.34 seconds. Vietnamese para powerlifter Lê Văn Công won silver in the men’s 49-kilogram category with a lift of 171 kilograms, securing Vietnam’s first medal of the Games.
| Athlete | Country | Sport / Event | Medal / Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ernie Gawilan | Philippines | Para Swimming (400m Freestyle S7 & 200m IM SM7) | 1 Gold, 1 Silver |
| Kunlavut Vitidsarn | Thailand | Badminton (Men’s Singles) | Gold |
| Muhammad Fadli Imamuddin | Indonesia | Para Cycling (C4 4,000m Pursuit) | Gold (Games Record) |
| Muhammad Ammar Aiman Nor Azmi | Malaysia | Para Athletics (400m T20) | Silver |
| Lê Văn Công | Vietnam | Para Powerlifting (49kg Category) | Silver (171kg) |
Alongside the athletic celebration, Toyota introduced “New Day Rising,” a regional music project developed under its Move Your World Beat initiative. The project united seven musical artists from across Asia who composed original tracks using audio samples recorded directly from Toyota vehicles.
The participating musicians included Miguel and Paolo Benjamin of the Philippine indie folk-pop band Ben&Ben, Singaporean singer-songwriter Shye, Malaysian musician and DJ Belle Sisoski, Pakistani artist Natasha Noorani, and Thai-Italian singer-songwriter Valentina Ploy.
Toyota presented the collaborative work during the Nagoya gathering and also released “Move Your World Beat Volume 1,” which compiles the individual tracks produced by the artists.
Tan explained that the music project mirrored the company’s approach to sports by allowing creative talents from distinct nations to blend their unique styles into a shared endeavor.
