The Philippine women’s lacrosse team opened the year with a bang, notching wire-to-wire wins to secure its spot in the prestigious 2026 World Championship in Tokyo, Japan.

The Nationals put up a stellar debut in the Asia-Pacific Lacrosse Championship at the Sunshine Coast Stadium in Queensland, Australia as they dismantled China (15-3) then crushed Hong Kong (14-2) to earn their berth in the quadrennial meet which is dominated by the Americans and the Australians.

It was an impressive output for the lacrosse team which is unranked in the global list, making waves in the six-day long tournament with their stunning victories over Hong Kong and China, which sit No. 16 and 19, respectively.

The results only proved that the Philippines is a force to be reckoned with despite being relatively new to the sport.

The Filipinas will battle crowd-favorite Australia Wednesday night, Jan. 8.

The Philippines is trying to earn valuable experience and exposure in the coming years as the sport is included in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Leading the charge for the Pinay team are Caroline Roxas, Andrea Macalalad, Steph Lazo, Lizzie De Guzman, and Minka Martinez while spearheading the midfield position are Ria Lagmadeo, Sarah Nelson, Kalen Johnson, Bailey Truex, Cat Roxas, Nia Carrera, and Mallory Ngitngit.

Taking care of the defensive end are Olivia Pugh, Kaitlynn Lazaro, Kaila Stasuli, Daryl Coss, Kylie Yap, and Carolyn Carrera while Cailey Canessa and Abigail Beattie serve as goalies of the Nationals.

The Women’s World Championship was first held in 1982 in Nottingham, England where the USA beat Australia, 10-7, to clinch the inaugural crown.