Throughout the decades, Filipino-Australian athletes have been making waves in the sports world. While some are more prominent than others, one thing remains the same: each athlete achieved greatness on the international stage through hard work and determination.
Without further ado, let’s look at five famous Filipino-Australian athletes in sports history:
Jason Day
Born to an Irish-Australian father and a Filipina mother, Jason Day has been golfing since he was six. By age eight, Day was already winning local golfing tournaments, and at 13 years old, he had already won a Masters junior event in Australia.
Day’s upwards trajectory continued throughout the years, culminating in his first PGA Tour win in 2010 with the HP Byron Nelson Championship. In 2015, he won the PGA Championship and four other PGA Tour events that same year.
If you were ever to bet on a Filipino athlete, Jason Day would be an excellent choice. He has an illustrious golfing career that he began at a young age. In fact, gambling can make the matches a lot more exciting to watch. Plus, you can benefit from a huge bonus when you bet with our offers for 22bet!
Josh “Kuya” Culibao
Mixed martial artist Joshua Culibao is a “Kuya” you don’t want to mess with. With 13 Featherweight UFC wins under his belt, five of which are by knockout and one by submission, and a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, it’s best to keep on Culibao’s good side.
Born to Filipino parents, Culibao earned his nickname from his teammates at Igor MMA. He quickly gained popularity in MMA in 2016 when he debuted with a perfect 8-0 record. By 2020, he started appearing in UFC matches.
Culibao’s career in the UFC is still ongoing, bringing pride to Filipinos at home and abroad.
Ben “Speedy” Gonzales
Philippine-born Ben Gonzales made a name for himself in rugby in 1984 when he debuted for the Penrith Panthers. During his three-year career for the Panthers, he scored 92 points and 23 tries across 73 appearances.
In 1988, Gonzales joined the then-named Gold Coast Giants and stayed there for another three years. By his retirement in 1991, Speedy had accumulated 48 points and 12 tries across 58 appearances.
Lizette Cabrera
25-year-old Lizette Cabrera has already made quite a promising tennis career for herself despite being relatively young. Cabrera plays singles and doubles, racking up wins in both formats since her debut in 2016.
Following her first year in tennis, Cabrera managed to snag a singles ranking of 257 after starting at 1062. Her ranking increased even further in 2017 when she reached 135 in women’s singles. Cabrera’s peak ranking was in 2020 when she reached 119.
Even though she was born in Australia, Cabrera’s parents are both Filipinos who shared their love of tennis with her.
Richard Goodwin
If you want to witness a Filipino-Australian athlete who can play and represent the Philippines in multiple sports, Richard Goodwin is a good choice. The 36-year-old has played for the Philippine National Cricket Team, National Rugby League Team and National Rugby Sevens Team.
Though born in the Philippines, Goodwin and his mother moved to Australia when he was six. He even tried his hand at baseball before eventually turning his attention to cricket and rugby.
Photos courtesy of Jason Day, Josh “Kuya” Culibao, Ben “Speedy” Gonzales, Lizette Cabrera, and Richard Goodwin
