Born and raised in Liloan, Cebu, wakeboarder Raphael Trinidad has been named the Philippines' flag bearer along with wushu legend Agatha Wong for the 2025 World Games set on August 7 to 17 in Chengdu, China.

“I was not expecting talaga… I’ve competed internationally for how many years na and I know that kahit walang flag bearing and all that, I still carry the Philippine flag with pride wherever I go,” Trinidad told GMA Regional TV News.

The 23-year-old phenom pre-qualified in the tournament after securing the bronze medal in the 2024 IWWF (IWWF) World Cable Wakeboard and Wakeskate Championships in Paris before solidifying his place by clinching the gold in the IWWF Asia and Oceania Championships last January in Clark, Pampanga.

“To be able to represent the country and have that opportunity again on a bigger stage in the world games, it's such a huge honor and I definitely don’t take it lightly and rest assured I will really do my best for the Filipino people, to the whole wakeboarding community here in the Philippines and, of course, to everyone that has been a part of my journey,” he said.

Recognized widely as the best Filipino wakeboarder and one of the top wakeboarders in Asia due to his significant achievement and international recognition, Trinidad first caught the public eye when he placed second in the men’s open division at the 2019 World Cable Wakeboard Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, his very first international competition.

Trinidad, who aims for a strong showing in the tourney, is currently in Clark, Pampanga to wrap-up the final stretch of his training.

“Preparations have been really really good. I'm feeling at 100 percent. I've been training the past three months leading up to this event,” he said.

“I really believe that all the work I put in will show in my riding sa competition and I’m more than ready to represent the country with pride,” he added.

Trinidad hopes that more Filipino athletes give wakeboarding a shot, raving about its potential to go mainstream and be the next big thing in Philippine sports.

“A lot of Filipinos still don’t know, still haven’t heard of wakeboarding yet but if people just give it a chance and see what wakeboarding is all about, not just here in Clark but all the way down in Batangas, up north in Quirino, we have one in Cebu, and Davao… we’re all over the place,” he said.