Filipino athletes as Oscar nominees and winners

The 95th Academy Awards went down on Monday and it proved to be a monumental affair as always. No actual slaps were given, just love for the best films that came out last year.

Well, it’s time to do the right thing and incorporate the movie world’s biggest event into Philippine sports.

So, without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, One Sports presents… Filipino athletes as Oscar 95 nominees and winners.

"Everything Everywhere All at Once" starring EJ Obiena

Pole vaulter EJ Obiena is currently ranked third in the world. Wherever he competes, he’s able to hold his own. In September 2022, the Tondo, Manila native even defeated the sport’s top athlete, Armand Duplantis, to win the Brussels Diamond League.

Plus, Obiena using his pole to jump through the multiverse looks just about right. For all of that, he takes the Best Picture award.

"Top Gun: Maverick" starring Japeth Aguilar

"Top Gun: Maverick" was a sequel 36 years in the making. It was worth the wait as Part 2 grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide. Its lead star was still Cruise who was already 59 years old then.

Just like Maverick, Japeth Aguilar at 36 years old is no spring chicken in a young man’s game. But just like Maverick, he is still able to bring in the numbers as he finished at the top of the 2023 PBA All-Star Weekend fan votes.

"Avatar: Way of the Water" starring the Choco Mucho Flying Titans

Not everyone was wowed. How much you’d like James Cameron’s offering depends on what you prefer. Is it good storytelling or spectacular visuals?

Same goes with the very popular Flying Titans. They’ve got lots of supporters, but they’ve got their fair share of detractors as well. But whether you’re a fan or not, you’ve got to acknowledge what they bring to the table.

Brendan Fraser = Kelly Williams

"The Mummy" franchise star has been out of the limelight for quite some time due to personal hardships. But a career comeback has now culminated in an Oscar Best Actor trophy for Fraser’s critically acclaimed performance in Darren Aronofsky’s "The Whale."

His Filipino athlete equivalent is none other than Kelly Williams. The PBA’s ultimate comeback kid has been in and out of the league due to health reasons and, of course, mileage. But every time he returns, Machine Gun Kelly makes sure that his impact is felt.

In 2021, coming off a brief retirement, the TNT Tropang Giga star even made the PBA All-Defensive Team at 40 years old.

Michelle Yeoh = Filipinas

Michelle Yeoh made history by becoming the first Asian to win the Best Actress plum at the Oscars. The Malaysian artist had a dynamite performance in "Everything Everywhere All at Once." It was only a matter of time ‘til the 60-year-old thespian had her moment at center stage inside the Dolby Theater.

Since the words, “made history” and “dynamite performance” were mentioned, we’ve got to give this one to the Philippine Women’s National Football Team (PWNFT). The Filipinas are up for a historic appearance in the 2023 FIFA World Cup, and they did it in dramatic fashion at the 2022 AFC Asian Women’s Cup.

As with Yeoh, the PWNFT are out to represent the women and the rest of their countrymen in the world stage, at the highest level.