Trinidad, Abubakar, and Ordonez headline strong Filipino showing at 2025 World Games in Chengdu
CHENGDU, China — Team Philippines came alive on Friday as three standout athletes made noise across different venues at the 2025 World Games, injecting much-needed momentum into the country’s campaign.
Flag bearer Raph Trinidad transitioned seamlessly from Thursday night’s opening ceremonies to Friday’s cable wakeboarding action at Sancha Lake Arena. With smooth, confident runs and high-difficulty stunts, Trinidad posted 80.20 points to top his heat and rank third overall out of 10 semifinal qualifiers. Only Germany’s Max Milde (83) and France’s Loic Deschaux (80.40) posted better scores.
Joining him in the water events semifinals is Eric Ordonez, who clinched his spot in the wake surf event with a 36.67-point performance. While Ordonez trailed the leaders — USA’s Jett Lambert (83.75) and Thailand’s BM Jomboon (80) — he remains in contention with an eye on stepping up his game in Saturday’s semifinal round.
Abubakar scores big in muay thai as Wong eyes recovery in taolu
Meanwhile, at the Sichuan Gymnasium in central Chengdu, muay thai striker Rudzma Abubakar stunned Ukraine’s Anastasiia Mykhailenko in their women’s -48kg quarterfinal bout. The shorter Abubakar dictated the fight after opening a cut above the Ukrainian’s right eyebrow in Round 2, leading to a unanimous 30-27 win.
Abubakar’s next test is a high-stakes semifinal clash against hometown favorite Xiaohui Lui at 6 p.m. Saturday. Chef de Mission Stephen Arapoc, who also serves as the national muay thai association president, expressed full confidence in her preparation.
In wushu, Agatha Wong — a five-time SEA Games champion — placed eighth out of nine in the taijiquan (bare hands) event held at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center. She earned 9.160 points and will attempt to climb up the standings in the evening’s taijijian (sword) event set for 7:50 p.m. A combined score will determine the medalists.
Dragon boat and floorball action up next
More Filipino athletes are set to make waves as the World Games progresses. The dragon boat team, steered by John James Pelagio, will compete in the 8-seater 2000-meter open final on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at the Xinglong Lake Hubin Arena. Crew members include Roger Masbate, Alfred Reformina, John Rey Barca, Jim Vincent Arsenio, Robert Pantaleon, Roda Daba, Joanna Barca, and Rosalyn Esguerra.
Also returning to action is the men’s floorball team, which will face powerhouse Sweden at 11:45 a.m. at the Xindu Xiangcheng Sports Centre.
As the Philippine delegation continues to build momentum, hopes are high that this performance surge will spark a medal push in the coming days. The team is backed by Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Patrick Gregorio.
