HERGIE BACYADAN is a Filipino athlete with many hats.
Over the weekend, Ms. Bacyadan, who saw action in boxing in last August’s Paris Olympics, showed one of it after she delivered one of the Philippines’ four gold medals in the Asian Kickboxing Championships in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The 29-year-old Kalinga Apayao fighter overwhelmed Chinese Jinwei Teng in the women’s K1-70-kilogram (kg) division via abandonment to add another feather to her cap.
That kickboxing gold was another feat for Ms. Bacyadan, who was world vovinam champion last year apart from his many accomplishments as a boxer and a wushu practitioner in the past.
The triumph also secured her a spot to the World Combat Games slated next year in Chengdu, China.
It was one of the four golden performances by the country in the Cambodian capital as Carlo Von Buminaang reigned supreme in the men’s 67 kg lowkick category on Sunday and Jovan Medallo, who scooped up a pair of mints in the musical forms with weapon and open hand on Saturday.
Janah Lavador also picked up three bronzes in musical forms with weapon, without weapon and creative form with weapon sections.
Chipping in a bronze apiece were Renza Dacquel (women’s lowkick 48 kg), Lance Airon Villamer (men’s point fighting under 63 kg) and Daryl Chulipas (men’s full contact under 51 kg).
Ms. Bacyadan has already revealed right after she went home from her Paris Games stint that she will venture in other sports including kickboxing where she has proven to be world class. — Joey Villar