name: Hagee Basiadan
Country: Philippines
Sports: Boxing, 75kg
Olympic experience: none
Social media: Instagram / TikTok
Who is Hagee Basiadan?
Filipino boxer Hargie Bassiadan has his sights set on a historic goal for himself and his country when he makes his Olympic debut next month. Bassiadan, who identifies as a transgender man, will be aiming to win multiple medals at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, joining the largest group of Filipino boxers to qualify for the Olympics in 28 years.
Bacha Dang brings a martial arts pedigree to the boxing ring, having won the 2023 World Championships in women's Vovinam, a Vietnamese martial art that combines elements of boxing, judo and wushu, and has won silver medals at major competitions in both Vovinam and wushu.
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Basiadan identifies as a transgender man but competes in the women's division because he is not on hormone replacement therapy.
He proudly declared on his social media accounts that he has never taken testosterone and stood up to claims to the contrary after Russia's Vovinam team demanded that his 2023 gold medal win be voided because he is a “male.”
It's no surprise that Bassiadan, who has spoken out strongly against the discrimination he faced while playing, has also used his platform to advocate for the LGBTQ community in the Philippines: He and his wife publicly supported the passage of a bill to protect Filipinos from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Elgy Basiadan at the Paris Summer Olympics
Bachadan will compete in the 75kg weight class, the heaviest weight class in women's boxing at the Olympics.
Bassiadang makes no secret of how proud he is to represent the Filipino LGBTQ community on the world stage. [members of] “I am proud to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community and to be a part of the Paris Olympics,” he told ABS-CBN News. “I will perform better to bring about change.”
If Bachadan wins a medal, he will become the first trans man in Olympic history, and he also has a shot at a gold medal, something that has eluded a Filipino boxer until now, despite the country's strong boxing culture.
“My biggest motivation is my family, my Kalinga tribe and people who believe that I can win a medal at the Paris Olympics,” Bachadan said.
