Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 12) – Seven Filipino athletes have qualified for the 2022 World Games in July in Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
World Games is an international multi-sport event held every four years, where sports not contested in the Olympics are played. It is usually staged a year after the Olympic Games.
2021 US Open Pool titlist Carlo Biado – the first Filipino to win a gold in the competition in 2017 – is sure to be in his second straight World Games stint after bagging the coveted plum last year.
Biado ruled the men’s singles nine-ball event in the 2017 World Games after beating British cue artist Jayson Shaw in the finals.
Two-time women’s world 10-ball champion Rublien Amit confirmed to CNN Philippines that she will also represent the country in the prestigious meet due to her current ranking as world no. 4.
Meanwhile, the Muay Thai Association of the Philippines announced the qualification of Phillip Delarmino and Leeana Bade in the 2022 World Games.
Delarmino advanced to the international competition after topping the -57kg male category of the 2021 IFMA World Championships held last December in Phuket, Thailand.
Bade will compete in the 2022 World Games as a wildcard entry in the -63.5 kg female division.
Like Bade, Jiu-Jitsu specialist Annie Ramirez also made it to this year’s World Games as a wildcard qualifier in the women’s -57kg division.
Joyce Reboton is the lone Filipino powerlifter so far to qualify for this year’s World Games after winning four golds in the 2021 Asian Classic-Equipped Powerlifting and Bench Press Championships held at Istanbul, Turkey.
Karateka Junna Tsukii is the latest addition to the Philippine team in the 2022 World Games after earning a quota slot, the Karate Pilipinas Sports Federation announced on Saturday.
Tsukii – the world no. 4 in the women’s kumite -50kg category – is the only Southeast Asian to qualify in the quadrennial sports meet.
“I was not able to participate in the last Olympics, but here I have a chance to give all my efforts and sacrifices,” said Tsukii, who lost in her Olympic bid last year in the qualifiers held in Paris, France.
Since joining the World Games in 1981, the Philippines won a gold, five silvers, and five bronzes.
