World Lacrosse Super Sixes: newbies Philippines confident they have a shot at 2028 Olympics
They may have started playing years after their regional rivals but have improved quickly – and are a step away from the Super Sixes final
Philippines lacrosse officials believe they still have a long way to go to catch up with Asia’s best teams – who started playing the sport decades before they did – but they are adamant they can compete for a spot at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028.
The Philippines finished last in last December’s six-team World Lacrosse Super Sixes in Hong Kong, but have returned for the latest edition with a much stronger team.
So far, they have beaten Germany, China and Hong Kong for three wins out of four, setting up a rematch with the Germans to decide which team faces Fogostealers of Japan in the gold medal match.
Said head coach Justin Manjares: “We beat the Germans for the first time [on Friday], but we know playing them twice is going to be [difficult].
“They’ve got better as the tournament got along, but we’ve got better too so it’s going to be a good match tomorrow.”
Since the establishment of the Philippines Lacrosse Association (PLA) in September 2012, and the acceptance of PLA to World Lacrosse two years later, the Filipinos have competed in the men’s world championships twice, finishing 10th and 15th in 2018 and 2023, respectively.
