Gymnastics Association of the Philippines to be recognized as NSA of the Year

For producing not one, but two gold medals in a single Olympics edition, the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) definitely set the standard for Philippine sports in 2024.

The 62-year-old body steered Carlos Yulo to the pinnacle of the sport, capturing two gold medals during the 2024 Paris Olympics by ruling his two pet events vault and floor exercise as both GAP and Yulo made history for the Philippines.

Yulo became the first Filipino male athlete to ever win a gold medal in the Summer Games and is also the first Filipino to win two gold medals in one Olympic edition.

With their success, GAP is hailed as the NSA (National Sports Association) of the Year for the first time ever in the upcoming Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Awards Night set on January 27.

GAP's remarkable year also saw some other Filipino gymnasts making their own name with Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo, and Levi Jung-Ruivivar bannering the Philippines in the Paris Games, marking the first time in 60 years that the country participated in the women's division since Evelyn Magluyan and Maria Luisa Floro wore the country’s colors in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

GAP also helped hone national athletes in other global tournaments such as Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Series in Qatar, where Yulo also shone with multiple medals.

GAP now joins the rank of Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines, Jiu Jitsu Federation of the Philippines, Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, Philippine Taekwondo Association as previous NSA of the Year award winners.

—Bea Micaller/JKC, GMA Integrated News