Filipina boxer makes Olympic dream a reality | The Manila Times Newsroom
The Manila Times Sports interviews Filipina boxer Hergie Tao-wag Bacyadan on her journey toward her Olympic dream as she fights for flag and country in the Paris Games.
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The Manila Times Sports interviews Filipina boxer Hergie Tao-wag Bacyadan on her journey toward her Olympic dream as she fights for flag and country in the Paris Games.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good morning, I am Nicole Ann Bugawisan and welcome to a new episode of the Manila Times
00:09Newsroom.
00:11On this episode, the Manila Times Sports interviews Filipino boxer Hergie Tawag-Bacadan on her
00:18journey toward her Olympic dream as she fights for flag and country in the Paris Games.
00:30Hergie, your preparations so far, how is your conditioning from 1 to 10?
00:40Of course, we are already at 10.
00:43I am not adjusting.
00:46I am continuously exercising.
00:49My condition is good.
00:51I am showing my training.
00:53The coaches are happy.
00:54I am also happy because I said I have improvements that I am learning every day.
01:00I am very prepared for the upcoming Olympics.
01:04For the upcoming Olympics, even if it is your first time, a lot of people are saying that
01:13your stance is different and your planting is different.
01:18For you, what will be your advantage for the upcoming Olympics?
01:24I told Coach Gerson and Coach Ronald that we should work harder because I am not that
01:31polished yet.
01:33I came from a combat background, I did kickboxing, then I transformed into boxing.
01:39There are adjustments, but I told Coach Gerson to help me improve my shortcomings because
01:45I was really lucky to be able to qualify.
01:52I am thankful that the Lord did not abandon me.
01:57I am thankful for the prayers of my fellow countrymen and my tribes.
02:01I told Coach Gerson to prepare me, especially now that the training for qualifying is over.
02:12We will do a different step for the upcoming Olympics.
02:17What did you learn and how did you excel in boxing?
02:20At the same time, how did you become a senior athlete?
02:24I am really passionate about sports.
02:28The people there are okay.
02:30I just have high expectations of myself because I don't want to just stay in the sports
02:36or my comfort zone because I want to achieve more.
02:39I will look for other sports that I can do, that I can improve on.
02:46I saw boxing and I thought that this is where I am okay.
02:55I did not make a mistake when I was chosen.
02:59We were swimming and I saw Coach Ronald.
03:03I told him, Coach, maybe you are looking for a big woman.
03:08He said, are you a woman?
03:11I said, I don't want to.
03:14He said, okay.
03:16It was his first time seeing a woman this big.
03:21He said, you are beautiful in a big weight.
03:25Actually, he was not the one who held the woman.
03:29It was Coach Boy at that time.
03:32I recommend you to Coach Boy.
03:34I will send you there.
03:35You just have to wait.
03:37I started boxing in 2019.
03:41Our training base was in Baguio, Cahuizan before I started.
03:50I competed in the 2019 SEA Games.
03:53I competed as an Asian Champion.
03:56I won a gold medal.
03:58It was the first time that I was overwhelmed.
04:01I said, this is how it feels.
04:04Before, in Wusho, I never won a gold medal.
04:07But here, I won a gold medal.
04:09I was so proud of myself.
04:14I said, maybe this is the time.
04:17I changed my mind.
04:20I left that time.
04:22It was the time when they were expecting me to enter the Tokyo Olympics.
04:26It didn't happen because I was stubborn.
04:28I still had a lot of questions in my mind.
04:36I left that time.
04:38I stayed at home for 2 years.
04:43I worked outside.
04:45I tried to find a job.
04:47I was sad.
04:49I said, once I left boxing,
04:51I let go of my dream to become an Olympian.
04:55In 2020, Coach Galido called me.
05:05He called me and said,
05:07I called you because
05:09I saw that you were happy.
05:12You were able to think.
05:14You wanted to come back.
05:16We can hire you again.
05:18But I'm not saying that I will hire you again.
05:22I want you to be consistent.
05:25You need to focus.
05:27So that you can achieve your dream.
05:31You need to avoid those temptations.
05:33Whatever is in your mind.
05:35I didn't want to buy a second chance.
05:38I said, let's do it.
05:40It was good that I entered in 2022.
05:44I got a gold medal in the Thailand Open.
05:47Everyone was like,
05:49who is that?
05:51Who is the 75?
05:53We talked about it.
05:56Until we got to the point where we were preparing for Vietnam.
06:01It was a long preparation.
06:03We were in Thailand for 2 months.
06:05But I didn't fight in Vietnam.
06:08We only had 2 slots in the 75.
06:12So it didn't continue.
06:14Until I was in the ESBC again.
06:16I got a bronze medal.
06:23After I got the bronze,
06:25I thought again,
06:28I wasn't happy.
06:30At that time,
06:32my partner and I were getting married.
06:37So I let go of boxing again.
06:40So I thought,
06:43I don't know what's running through my mind.
06:47Where am I?
06:49Do I still have a future in sports?
06:51Or am I just playing this sport?
06:54Some people dream of becoming a national team.
06:58What's more, they want to compete internationally.
07:00It's a big privilege for you
07:02as an athlete to play abroad.
07:04So,
07:06one year,
07:08I was there again.
07:10That's when I joined GovNam.
07:13Actually, at that time,
07:15I was looking for a promoter or manager
07:17for a professional.
07:19At that time, I lost my boxing career.
07:21I was looking for people
07:24I can talk to
07:26who can help me become a pro.
07:28That's when GovNam joined.
07:31I competed in the 65kg division.
07:37When I came back,
07:39I didn't expect it.
07:41I thought boxing was over.
07:43It was all in my head.
07:45It was hopeless.
07:47Maybe this is it.
07:49This is what sports looks like to me.
07:51GovNam and SKP.
07:53At that time,
07:55after my World Championship,
07:57I became a champion in GovNam.
07:59Atty. Warton told me,
08:01the person in charge of SKP,
08:03he told me,
08:05after that,
08:07I should rest for a week
08:09and prepare for qualifying.
08:11I was shocked.
08:13I thought,
08:15God really connected
08:17everything that happened in my life.
08:19That's why I said,
08:22I don't want to embarrass the people
08:24who believe in me.
08:26I thought,
08:28this is it.
08:30This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
08:32I said,
08:34this is my lifetime dream.
08:36I want to qualify
08:38for the Olympics.
08:42I didn't rest.
08:44I rested for a day
08:46and trained at home.
08:48I trained in Montalban
08:51with my father.
08:53I trained there.
08:55After I rested,
08:57I went back to ABAP.
08:59I trained there.
09:01Of course,
09:03I was surprised
09:05by the people around me.
09:07I was like,
09:09if I was in the national team,
09:11I was like,
09:13why is this happening?
09:17At that time,
09:20the level here was different.
09:22I said,
09:24I need to improve.
09:26I need to prove something.
09:28I need to
09:30somehow
09:32make them believe
09:34that I came back
09:36to boxing
09:38for their purpose
09:40and God's will.
09:42Those are the people
09:44who brought me back
09:46to boxing.
09:49What do you think
09:51will change
09:53in the upcoming Olympics?
09:55Will there be more discipline?
09:57Will there be
09:59more strength?
10:01Something that will change
10:03compared to previous expeditions?
10:05In terms of
10:07qualifying,
10:09well,
10:11I was also surprised.
10:13I said,
10:15I was still there
10:18when I realized
10:20that I was in the Olympics.
10:22I still can't believe it.
10:24It was just a few months preparation.
10:26So,
10:28I told my coach,
10:30Coach Ronald,
10:32Coach Gerson,
10:34that I need to
10:36improve my movements
10:38because I have the power.
10:40The only problem
10:42is that I can't
10:44adjust the timing.
10:47In terms of footwork,
10:49we're still working on it.
10:51There are still things to improve
10:53but I told Coach Ronald,
10:55Coach Gerson,
10:57that we need to work on it
10:59because this is a different level
11:01compared to the Olympics.
11:03I said, I'm prepared.
11:05When we arrived in Germany,
11:07I still have a training camp.
11:09I'll observe the opponents,
11:11I'll study their movements
11:13so that when we face
11:16them in the ring,
11:18they'll be surprised
11:20that I didn't give my best
11:22in the sparring because
11:24I'll study their movements.
11:26They'll see my movements.
11:28In the upcoming Olympics,
11:30they'll be surprised
11:32because they saw my sparring
11:34in the qualifying.
11:36It's different.
11:38It's a different level
11:40compared to the Olympics.
11:46Based on your story,
11:48you're the one who's moving away
11:50but in my story,
11:52you're moving closer to boxing.
11:54How do you feel about that?
11:56For me,
11:58boxing is totally deleted.
12:00I'm just focusing on
12:02other things that are open for me.
12:04That's all I'm focused on
12:06because I'm just a few years old.
12:08I'll be retiring soon.
12:10I want to be free.
12:12I don't think about
12:14training in the morning.
12:16Of course,
12:18it's okay.
12:20But because
12:22it's the will of the Lord,
12:24I have a purpose.
12:26Why did He bring me back to boxing?
12:28He doesn't want
12:30me to prove anything.
12:32To the people who
12:34trust me,
12:36they have a lot of trust
12:38that we'll get the gold
12:40in the upcoming Olympics.
12:42Like I said,
12:44I'll continue to
12:46work hard
12:48until I get back here
12:50and go to the Olympics.
12:52I'm confident that I'll beat my opponents.
12:54Carlo and Esty mentioned
12:56that you're the only ones
12:58who can help each other.
13:00You're strong and brave.
13:02How does it feel
13:04to have all three of you
13:06going to the Olympics
13:08and how do you feel
13:10about that?
13:12For me,
13:14as someone who's
13:16below the level
13:18of boxing,
13:20I'm looking forward to the Olympics.
13:22Number one is Esty.
13:24She's my idol.
13:26Carlo, Marshall,
13:28Irish, they're all retired.
13:30I see them
13:32as my privilege.
13:34I talk to Esty.
13:36At first,
13:38I was embarrassed
13:40because I noticed
13:42that I might
13:44lose.
13:46When I approached them,
13:48they're so kind.
13:50They're down to earth and humble.
13:52That's why I said
13:54that when I become an Olympian,
13:56I want to be like them.
13:58I don't want to
14:00think about
14:02becoming an Olympian.
14:04Of course,
14:06I know that it's just
14:08a dream, but
14:10I'm determined.
14:12As you said, we're helping
14:14Carlo and Nesh.
14:16I appreciate
14:18what they taught me.
14:20Especially when
14:22I was the last one to fight
14:24in the qualifying.
14:26They told me not to lose hope.
14:28Trust yourself.
14:30Give your best because
14:32there's no after.
14:34Just relax.
14:36So that you won't feel
14:38tired in the ring.
14:40I really appreciate that.
14:42It's a big part of me
14:44that there are people
14:46who are still Olympians.
14:48That's why I said
14:50that it's overwhelming
14:52and it really boosts me.
14:54Of course,
14:56they've been there.
14:58The tips they gave
15:00really helped me in the ring.
15:02I don't know what to say.
15:04I learned a lot.
15:06In my experience
15:08with Olympians,
15:10they're really down to earth.
15:12They know how to be with the beginners.
15:14Every time I go in,
15:16it's a battle.
15:18That's my experience.
15:20I feel it's legit.
15:22Every time I fight,
15:24especially in the qualifying,
15:26I said to myself,
15:28actually, there are others
15:30who glorify the Lord.
15:32But for me,
15:34I became a soldier
15:36of the Lord.
15:38He's the one who connected me
15:40so that I could come here.
15:42All the struggles I went through,
15:44I really went through it.
15:46I went through it cleanly.
15:48That's why I said
15:50when I knock on the ring,
15:52I'll release all the pressure and thoughts.
15:54I'll focus on my opponent
15:56and I always raise
15:58my hand to the Lord
16:00for all the battles.
16:02I hope there won't be any injuries.
16:04Whenever I knock on the ring,
16:06I always
16:08raise the name of the Lord.
16:12For my fellow
16:14aspiring athletes,
16:16it's like
16:18you're me.
16:20I went through that too.
16:22When you start in sports,
16:24of course,
16:26you're always looking for yourself.
16:28What are you thinking?
16:30Am I really here?
16:32Always push yourself.
16:34For me,
16:36that's what made me successful
16:38in sports.
16:40For me,
16:42based on my experience,
16:44my expectations are high.
16:46I always tell myself,
16:48I'll reach high, I'll go far.
16:50I'm sure of that.
16:52I'll get
16:54what I'm working for.
16:56Just push yourself.
16:58There's nothing
17:00like this.
17:02Everything you do,
17:04everything you do,
17:06will have good results.
17:08That's why I dream
17:10to be an athlete, to be in a national team,
17:12to compete internationally,
17:14to be in the Olympics someday.
17:16Keep on dreaming.
17:18If you really feel like
17:20you're here, you're happy,
17:22you're happy with what you're doing,
17:24there's no pressure, no toxic,
17:26you're here.
17:28Whatever you want,
17:30not only in sports,
17:32in work,
17:34always think, trust yourself,
17:36you can do anything,
17:38no matter what you're going through.
17:40I'm Hergie Tawagbakyadan,
17:42and I play 75kg middleweight,
17:44for the country.
17:52www.hergietawagbakyadan.com