THE Philippine Kickboxing Team, riding a wave of recent international success, departed the country early Friday morning to compete in the highly anticipated 2025 WAKO World Kickboxing Championship in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The championship runs from November 21 to 30, and the nine-athlete delegation is poised to challenge the world’s best.
The team, which boasts multiple SEA Games and WAKO World Cup medalists, boarded an Etihad Airways flight with the unified goal of bringing home the gold.
The nine nationals heading to the global stage are an impressive mix of decorated veterans and rising stars. The team is particularly strong in the Forms category, led by two athletes who dominated the recent WAKO World Cup, Jovan Medallo, the undeniable star of the Forms division who secured a remarkable Quadruple Gold Medal at the 2025 WAKO World Cup, and Janah Lavador, a powerhouse who contributed a Double Gold Medal at the same event.
The combat divisions are equally stacked with experience and medal pedigree. The lineup includes SEA Games Gold Medalist Gretel de Paz (52kgs Low Kick), Silver Medalist from the 2024 Asian Kickboxing Championship Honorio Banario (75kgs K1), and another 2025 WAKO World Cup Gold Medalist, Whinny Bayawon (57kgs Kick Light). They are joined by Aime Ramos (48kgs Low Kick), a World Cup Bronze Medalist; Kurt Lubrica (51kgs Low Kick), a proven fighter with medals from both the SEA Games and the Asian Kickboxing Championship; SEA Games Silver Medalist Jeremy Pacatiw (67kgs); and the reigning National Kickboxing Champion, Nathaniel Plania (57kgs PF and LC), who rounds out the formidable squad.
The team’s campaign will be overseen by coaches Larry Baluyan and Rofelyn Corrales, with Roselyn Hung serving as the Team Manager.
Leading the entire delegation is the Honorable Michael Francis Tolentino, the Head of Delegation.
Supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee, the national athletes carry the hopes of the nation as they compete in one of kickboxing’s most prestigious events.
The WAKO World Kickboxing Championship is expected to draw elite competitors from across the globe.
