Forget Paris, Bacyadan shifts focus on World Games

Philippines’ Hergie Bacyadan (in blue) takes a punch from China’s Li Qian in the women’s 75kg preliminaries round of 16 boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the North Paris Arena, in Villepinte on July 31, 2024. (Photo by MOHD RASFAN / AFP)

Hergie Bacyadan’s foiled attempt to medal in the Paris Olympics has only emboldened her desire to be better.

Shifting this time to kickboxing, Bacyadan has already set a goal for herself to compete in the 2025 World Games through the Asian Kickboxing Championships set to begin on Sunday in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

“Everybody wants to qualify to the World Games, so I expect the strongest opposition from Asia to participate,’’ said Bacyadan in Filipino, a passionate warrior from Kalinga whose expertise in combat sports has been quite impressive.

The 30-year-old fighter missed out on a medal as a women’s middleweight boxer in the Paris Olympics two months ago. She also possesses multifaceted skills in vovinam and wushu as national team standout and champion.

Bacyadan has been entered in the 70-kilogram (kg) division of the Asian tournament against the finest of the crop from tough continental nations like Uzbekistan, China, Turkmenistan, Thailand and Kyrgyzstan, among others.

A gold medal will send her to the global Games slated from Aug. 7 to 17.

“I’m coming in prepared. I’ll give this my best shot,” said Bacyadan.

Bacyadan was the 2023 women’s -66 kg champion in the World Vovinam Championships, the first Filipino to accomplish that feat. INQ