Hergie Bacyadan

Hergie Tao-Wag Bacyadan (born November 4, 1994) is a Filipino boxer and former wushu and vovinam practitioner who has competed in the women's division in all sports.

He is the first Vovinam World Championships gold medalist for the Philippines and a boxer who has qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Career

Martial arts

Bacyadan is a martial artist who engages in wushu and vovinam.

Wushu

Bacyadan first made it to the Philippine national wushu team in 2016. He took part at the inaugural Sanda Asian Cup in 2017 held in Foshan, China, winning a silver in the 65-kilogram division. At the 2017 World Wushu Championships in Kazan, Russia, he won another silver.

Vovinam

Bacyadan would briefly compete in vovinam, and lost weight as part of his preparation for the vovinam competition at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia.

Bacyadan competed in the 2023 Vovinam World Championships in the women's combat 66 kg division title and became the Philippines' first vovinam champion, winning against Mariana Abdeenko in the final.

In response, Russia filed a protest calling to nullify the result and issue a ban against Filipino athletes for future competitions, claiming that it was because Bacaydan is a "man". The Philippine federation condemned its Russian counterpart, with Bacaydan affirming that he is eligible to compete as he is " born female" and has not taken male hormones or gender surgery, due to the fact that such procedures would result in disqualification.

Boxing

Bacyadan’s shift to boxing was marked by his participation at the 2019 ASBC Asian Grand Slam Boxing Championships in Xiamen, China as part of his bid to qualify for in the Summer Olympics.

Bacyadan qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris through winning his quota bout at the 2024 World Olympic Qualification Tournament 2 against Maryelis Yriza of Venezuela.

Bacyadan prefers sparring with cisgender male boxers as part of his practice, which he believes benefits him in women's boxing.

In the 2024 Summer Olympics, Li Qian would eliminate him early via unanimous decision in round 16 of the women's 75 kg (middleweight) division. Shortly after the end of his stint, Bacyadan have expressed openness to turn to professional boxing.

Personal life

Bacyadan is a transgender man. He discussed his gender identity in an interview with Preview, acknowledging that he was born as a woman but that his "heart and mind" are that of a man. Despite this, Bacyadan competes in the women’s divisions, as he has not undergone any hormone replacement therapy or surgery which would risk his eligibility.

He has stood by Imane Khelif of Algeria and Lin Yuting of Taiwan who are involved in their own sex verification controversy in the 2024 Summer Olympics. Bacyadan affirmed Khelif and Lin are cis women and are fully qualified to participate and disavowed misinformation in social media that he has called for the ban of the two boxers.

Bacyadan hails from Tanudan, Kalinga and is of the Kalinga ethnic group. He says that his tribe accepts his gender identity, and he is allowed to wear traditional men's clothes such as the '' bahag''.

Bacyadan describes his sexual orientation as being " attracted to women". He married Lady Denily Digo, a bisexual cis woman, in Utah in 2022. The couple are online content creators with a presence on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bacyadan, Hergie
Filipino boxers
Filipino wushu practitioners
Filipino LGBT sportspeople
Competitors at the 2019 SEA Games
Competitors at the 2021 SEA Games
Competitors at the 2023 SEA Games
SEA Games silver medalists for the Philippines
People from Kalinga (province)
1994 births
Igorot people
Living people
LGBT boxers
Filipino transgender men
Transgender sportsmen
Boxers at the 2024 Summer Olympics
Olympic boxers for the Philippines
Indigenous LGBT people