Traditional sports The Philippines has numerous traditional sports that were popular before the colonial era and after the colonial era. Among these are
archery,
arnis, horse-riding, fling sports, wrestling sports, dart sports, track sports, and traditional martial arts. With the
sport of
cockfighting being wildly popular in the Philippines, attracting large crowds who bet on the outcome of fights between the birds, and the sport itself a popular form of fertility
worship among almost all
Southeast Asians. Such sports activity as the
sport of
cockfighting, related to ritual forms of worship as practices and rituals of ancient worship intended for the blessings of the supernatural, as "in Indus Valley and other ancient civilizations, mother goddess had been invoked for fertility and prosperity" which included that religious
cockfight lay as a prime example of "cultural synthesis of 'little' and 'great' cultures" Arnis is officially recognized as a
national sport as per Republic Act No. 9850 of 2009.
Individual sports Boxing The Philippines has produced more than 40 boxing world champions such as
Luisito Espinosa,
Donnie Nietes,
Gerry Peñalosa, and
Johnriel Casimero. Boxing is among the most popular individual sports in the Philippines. Some Filipino boxers such as
Nonito Donaire,
Gabriel Elorde,
Pancho Villa and
Manny Pacquiao are recognized internationally. The
Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines is the governing body for
amateur boxing in the country. The
Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (formerly Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines) (ABAP) is the governing body of amateur boxing in the Philippines. The ABAP's current goal is for the country to win its first ever Olympic gold medal in boxing, to be recognized as one of the world's boxing powers as well as to improve the image of the Philippines abroad. The country continually produces talented fighters, often in the junior featherweight division (122 pounds and below).
The International Boxing Association sanctions amateur (Olympic-style) boxing matches which allows the national amateur boxing athletes of the Philippines to represent the country and compete in regional, continental and international matches and tournaments. The Philippines has currently two silver and three bronze Olympic medals.
Figure skating Ice skating rinks used as venues for figure skating are limited to shopping malls in the country, particularly in the
Metro Manila area. The first ice skating rink in the country was opened in 1992 at
SM Megamall in
Mandaluyong. The first Olympic-sized ice skating rink was opened at the
SM Mall of Asia in
Pasay. An ice skating rink operated in
SM Southmall in
Las Piñas until 2022. There are more figure skating coaches in the Philippines than ice hockey coaches and the first Filipino ice skating coaches were roller skaters. The Philippine Championship is a national competitive for ice skating in which the winner gets to represent the country in international competitions. The Philippines has also managed to qualify and send a figure skater to the
2014 Winter Olympics, becoming the first Southeast Asian country to do so at the
Winter Olympics. The said figure skater was
Michael Christian Martinez.
Team sports Basketball basketball game at the
Smart Araneta Coliseum Basketball was introduced in the country during the
American colonial era and was one of the sports contested at the now defunct
Far Eastern Championship Games. The
men's national team has competed in the
Summer Olympics making their debut in
1936 although they have been absent in the recent editions of the Games.They have also competed in the
FIBA World Cup with the country hosting the tournament when it was still known as the FIBA World Championships in
1978.Their third-place finish in the
1954 edition was their best performance in the tournament. They hosted the
2023 edition with
Japan and
Indonesia. The
Philippine Basketball Association is the oldest league in Asia and is the top basketball league in the country. Other rival or smaller leagues in the country are organized. There are college basketball leagues and competitions such as the
Philippine Collegiate Championship. Basketball matches of the
University Athletic Association of the Philippines and the
National Collegiate Athletic Association also receives attention. The country also has a women's basketball team which has competed at the
FIBA Asia Women's Championship, as well as men youth team's and
3x3 national teams. At the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in
Bangkok, the Philippines women’s national basketball team (Gilas Women) won the gold medal in the women’s tournament, defeating host
Thailand 73–70 in the final. The victory marked the Philippines’ third SEA Games women’s basketball title in four editions. The
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (Basketball Federation of the Philippines) is the national sport association of basketball in the Philippines.
Association football , the largest football stadium in the countryFootball in the country dates back in the 1890s. The
men's national team of the Philippines played their earlier matches prior to
World War II against
China and
Japan at the
Far Eastern Championship Games. They experience a decline after that period but has since recovered following their stint at the
2010 AFF Championship. The country also organizes a
women's national team which has qualified for the
FIFA Women's World Cup in
2023. The
Philippines Football League is the top flight football league in the country. Each club represents their respective cities or provinces. It also helps to promote football awareness and grassroots program to the young Filipino footballers who admire to play professional football. The
Philippine Football Federation is the governing body for football in the country.
Volleyball ) The NSA affiliated with the sport is called the
Philippine National Volleyball Federation. Women's volleyball currently enjoys immense popularity primarily due to its growing fan base in the
University Athletic Association of the Philippines and the
National Collegiate Athletic Association amateur tournaments. Internationally, competitors are given the opportunity to represent the country in tournaments such as the Southeast Asian Games as well as the Olympics. The sport has also seen the development of leagues such as the
Philippine Super Liga,
Spikers' Turf and the
Premier Volleyball League.
American football American football is a relatively new sport to the Philippines.
ArenaBall Philippines was the first league and lasted from 2009 to 2015. In 2016 the
Philippine-American Football League was founded. The Philippines also organizes a
men's national team.
Baseball Baseball was introduced in the Philippines by the Americans. The first baseball game in the Philippines was played in September 1898 weeks after the Battle of Manila, a match between Astor Battery led by George Wetlaufer and a regiment from the American Army. From 1899 to 1900, baseball clubs were established by local Filipinos. The sport's introduction aided the American colonial government's assimilation efforts. General Otis planned to eliminate local cockfighting through the introduction of the sport. A baseball league composing of six clubs was established. Then, Governor General William Howard Taft encouraged baseball in the archipelago. Baseball grew to be a popular sport in the country. The national team is
Philippines national baseball team and the governing body is
PABA Rugby league Rugby league was first played in the Philippines in 2012. The
Philippines National Rugby League are the governing body and are responsible for the growth of
rugby league in the Philippines. The sport was introduced to the
Philippine Merchant Marine Academy by
Australian expats. Clubs have also been established by
Papua New Guinean expats and students (where rugby league is their national sport). The national team are known as the
Tamaraws and represents the country in international rugby league competition.
Rugby union (A lineout) The
Philippine Rugby Football Union was founded in 1998 and is the governing body of
rugby union in the
Philippines. There are currently around 12 schools playing rugby union in the Philippines and 10 teams that compete in regular competition. The national team is known as the
Volcanoes and competes in the
Asia Rugby Championship and the
Asian Sevens Series. In 2025, the Philippines men’s national rugby union team, known as the Volcanoes, marked its return to international 15-a-side competition by winning the Asia Rugby Division 1 Unions Cup. The team defeated
Thailand 23–6 in the final at
Kaohsiung National Stadium in
Taiwan, securing the title in their first test matches since 2019. The victory ended a six-year absence from international competition caused largely by disruptions from the
COVID-19 pandemic and signaled a revival of the country’s 15s rugby program. ==Sports leagues==