FOR the fourth time in her career, multi-sport athlete Hergie Bacyadan will represent the Philippines in the world stage—this time, in a new sport.
Bacyadan, one of the five Filipino boxers, who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics, has secured a place in the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China, after clinching the gold in the Asian Kickboxing Championships in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
A native of Kalinga, Bacyadan dominated the women’s K1 -70kg division in the tournament that drew the best kickboxers from 23 countries in Asia.
Her victory came by “abandonment” after her opponent, China’s Teng Jinwei, withdrew from the final, granting Bacyadan one of the 12 coveted Asian region slots in the upcoming World Games.
On Thursday, the Asian Kickboxing Confederation confirmed the list of qualifiers, with Uzbekistan leading the field with 8 athletes. Among Southeast Asian countries, two will come from Indonesia and one each from Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Philippines.
Bacyadan’s impressive reputation in the ring has made her a formidable contender, with her sheer presence often unsettling her opponents. This was evident in the final, as her Chinese rival conceded mere seconds after the bout began.
In the semifinals, Bacyadan secured a spot in the finals with a first-round technical knockout against Cambodia’s Raksa Samnang.
A former world champion in vovinam and a skilled wushu practitioner, Bacyadan initially joined the Philippine national wushu team in 2016, taking silver in the 65-kg division at the inaugural Sanda Asian Cup in Foshan, China, and another silver at the 2017 World Wushu Championships in Kazan, Russia.
She continued to excel, winning gold in the 66-kg division at the 2023 Vovinam World Championships and making history as the Philippines’ first Vovinam champion. This success led her to transition to boxing, ultimately securing a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
