MANILA, Philippines – The 2021 World Games Athlete of the Year could be a Filipino — Muay Thai fighter Philip Delarmino.
The 31-year-old Delarmino, who delivered the country a historic World Championships gold medal in the sport in Phuket, Thailand in December last year, was one of 24 nominees — from 17 countries — for the prestigious award.
It was another first for Delarmino, who was the first Filipino to get a nomination the World Games body.
And if he ends up eventually winning it, Delarmino writes history again.
“The first Filipino athlete to be nominated in the World Games Athlete of the Year. What an achievement,” said Muay Thai Association of the Philippine secretary-general Pearl Managuelod.
Delarmino and the other nominees, who came from various sports disciplines, were selected in the ninth edition of this yearly awards based on individual or team performance, social commitment, or fair behavior.
The winner will be decided via an online voting process that starts Monday and ends on Jan. 31.
Last year’s winner was Rani Rampal, captain of India’s women’s hockey team.