Hergie Tao-Wag Bacyadan (born November 4, 1994)[3][1] is a Filipino boxer and kickboxer; Also a formerwushu and vovinam practitioner, Bacyadan has competed in the women's division in all sports.
Bacyadan is a martial artist who engages in wushu and vovinam.
Wushu
Bacyadan first made it to the Philippine national wushu team in 2016.[6] 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.[7]
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.[8]
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 Bacyadan 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.[9]
Kickboxing
Bacyadan also have competed in kickboxing. He won a gold medal in the women's K1 -75kg division of the 2024 Asian Kickboxing Championships in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.[10] This qualified him a berth in the 2025 World Combat Games in China.[11]
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.[12]
Bacyadan prefers sparring with cisgender male boxers as part of his practice, which he believes benefits him in women's boxing.[15]
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.[16] Shortly after the end of his stint, Bacyadan have expressed openness to turn to professional boxing.[17]
Personal life
Bacyadan is a transgender man.[18][19] 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.[20] 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.[21]
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.[22]
Bacyadan describes his sexual orientation as being "attracted to women".[9] 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.[28]
Notes
^Hergie Bacyadan is a trans man who was assigned female at birth and competes in women's sports; he has not undergone any surgery for his masculine features. He has no publicly stated pronoun preference,[4] although a One Sports article published through correspondence with Bacyadan's partner asserts he prefers he/him pronouns.[5]
^Cabral, Katrina Maisie (June 28, 2024). "Hergie Bacyadan Is Ready for His Olympic Dream". Preview. Retrieved July 17, 2024. When I asked him for his pronouns, Hergie left it up to my hands. Despite this, he's assured that he had always felt that he had the heart and mind of a man.
^ abNapoles, Jimboy (August 7, 2024). "Get to know Pinoy Transgender Male Boxer Hergie Bacyadan". GMA News. Retrieved August 16, 2024. In an interview with Preview, Hergie Bacyadan said that his Kalinga tribe accepted his gender identity as he wore traditional men's clothes such as the bahag.
