Bacyadan eyes world kickboxing glory

After making her Olympic debut, Hergie Bacyadan sets her sights on the gold medal in kickboxing when she competes in the women’s K1-70-kilogram division of the World Games this August in Chengdu, China.

Bacyadan told DAILY TRIBUNE while her stint in the Summer Games ended quickly, her time with the national boxing team added more power to her punches that could be an advantage in her pursuit of world glory.

The 30-year-old boxer from Kalinga secured her spot in the biggest multi-sport event outside the Olympics after winning the gold medal in the Asian Kickboxing Championship in Cambodia last October.

“My punches are more powerful and it really helps me a lot,” Bacyadan said during the All-Women Sports Awards at the Century Park Hotel Grand Ballroom over the weekend.

“If I can time it right, it can really hurt my opponents since they don’t have a background in punching.”

Bacyadan was named as one of the major awardee in the glittery event for female athletes due to her impressive stint in the Paris Olympics.

As part of bacyadan’s Olympic buildup, she competed in various pocket tournaments joining a two-week training camp in Saarbrücken, Germany last year where they faced the best boxers in the world ahead of their Olympic participation.

She said she is determined to carve her name in Philippine sports after seeing her fellow boxer, Nesthy Petecio, emerge as Athlete of the Year after winning a bronze medal in the Summer Games.

“It’s a challenge for me to be better. It might be a dream but I want to make it to the top of my sport and leave my mark when the time comes when my body can’t fight anymore,” said Bacyadan, who started her career as a vovinam fighter before joining the national boxing squad.