CALL us Filipinas.
The Philippine Women’s National Team (PWNT) on Thursday announced that it will officially go by the name of ‘Filipinas’ as they begin their build-up for the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup.
“It is simple and nationalistic,” said PWNT team manager Jefferson Cheng. “Our athletes are Filipinas. They are strong-willed, determined, passionate, and driven by the goal to represent not just themselves but the country.”
Name game
The nickname of the PWNT has been a debate for several months now after former head coach Marlon Maro broached the idea of no longer calling the team as Malditas due to its negative connotation.
The debate grew even louder following the PWNT’s dream run in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup where the Philippines claimed a spot in the World Cup after beating Chinese Taipei at the quarterfinal stage.
The Pinay booters lost to Korea in the semifinals, still the highest finish by the team in history.
In a statement, the Philippine Football Federation said that “all relevant parties recognized that, as the PWNT steps into football’s biggest stage, it was not appropriate to continue using a moniker with negative connotations in large parts of the world.”
“We trust that Filipino football fans will understand and support this decision,” said Cheng.
The Philippines rose to 54th in the Fifa Women’s World Rankings after the successful campaign in the Asian Cup.
The Filipinas are about to start their training for the Southeast Asian Games with a camp in Sydney.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
