"Honoured to lead our country" – Justin Coveney heads Team Philippines on Physical: Asia following Manny Pacquiao’s example

Justin Coveney received the role of captain for Team Philippines in Netflix’s Physical: Asia following Manny Pacquiao’s exit from the competition. In an Instagram post on November 10, 2025, Coveney wrote,

"Honoured to lead our country, following in the footsteps of a legend."

As per the show's episode 5, he officially took over leadership responsibilities, including directing team strategy and preparing Team Philippines for the upcoming challenges in the series.

Pacquiao’s departure created a transition in team leadership that Coveney is now overseeing.

Justin Coveney takes over as captain of Physical: Asia Team Philippines, following Manny Pacquiao’s exit 

Leadership transition and Pacquiao’s influence

Before leaving the show, Manny Pacquiao addressed the team on his impact and the standards he set. Justin Coveney shared in his November 9, 2025, Instagram post,

"Honoured to have been led by the People’s Champ, @mannypacquiao. Even with his departure to serve the nation, Manny left us with standards, discipline and heart. That legacy stays with me and Team Philippines forever. 🇵🇭🥊"

Pacquiao​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ made his departure known in a very big way on the fifth episode, stating that he had to leave the competition because of another "obligation" back home and saying sorry to his team, as their common goal was to show the power and the ability of Team Philippines.

As a result of his leaving, the team was able to bring in the CrossFit athlete Justin Hernandez as a new competitor. Coveney is in charge of keeping the team united and in line with the structure laid down by ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌Pacquiao.

Challenges and competition format

Physical:​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Asia had 3 parts of the competition, with the first one including 8 teams in the show.

Challenge one, Territorial Conquest, had all eight teams scrambling to dominate platforms on a sand dune, as teams with fewer members on the platforms were knocked out.

In the second challenge, Shipwreck Salvage, teams were asked to carry the cargo of a shipwreck from the ship to the point of collection within 20 minutes.

Victors moved on by the shortest route, while the losing teams went to the Death Match, a series of rounds leading to ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌elimination.

In the Death Match, the Philippines faced Thailand and won after three rounds. Teams competed to control a ball and place it in the opponent’s box, with each round increasing in team size.

The challenge consisted of five rounds, starting with one member per team and increasing to five members in the final round.

Two teams emerged as winners, while the two losing teams were eliminated from the competition. The Death Match format tested coordination, endurance, and strategy under progressively challenging conditions.

The Philippines’ victory over Thailand allowed the team to remain in the competition for the next set of challenges.

Team Philippines’ performance and upcoming episodes

For​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ the third Challenge Rep Team Match, the last six teams were divided into two groups of three each. Group A consisted of the Philippines, South Korea, and Australia, whereas Group B had Mongolia, Turkey, and Japan.

After three matches in the Sack Toss Match, Australia was at the top of Group A with eight points, while South Korea and the Philippines were tied for second with five points each.

The last match of the week was going to decide which team would be the next to leave.

Next, each country chose representatives to carry out various physical challenges, which included hurdle races, hanging from stone totems, and throwing weighted sacks over ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌walls.

Points were assigned for each match, and teams with the lowest cumulative scores risked elimination without entering the Death Match.

The results of these matches influenced which teams would advance toward the semifinals, making each performance critical to overall team survival.

New episodes of Physical: Asia are released every Tuesday. As of November 11, three new episodes will be available, with the final three scheduled for November 18.

Stay tuned for more updates.