SWIMMING’S international federation approved Kayla Sanchez’s change of nationality from Canada to the Philippines effective Thursday.
“The World Aquatics has approved the request for the sport nationality’s change of the Athlete [Sanchez], born on 7 April 2001, in the Aquatics sports of Swimming, from Canada (CAN) to Philippines (PHI),” said World Aquatics Legal Counsel Loic Loutan in a letter dated Tuesday (July 4) and transmitted to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) on Thursday.
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“Therefore, the Athlete is entitled to represent Philippines in international competitions from 6 July 2023 onwards,” Loutan added.
The POC, through its president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, pursued Sanchez’s change of nationality for the past year. Sanchez has completed the year-long residency requirement.
“Finally the good news,” Tolentino said. “The country now has a very strong anchor in its national swimming team.”
Sanchez will officially compete for the Philippines in the Hangzhou 19th Asian Games set Sept. 23 to Oct. 8. She won’t be competing upon the advice of her coach at the world aquatics championships that starts July 14 in Fukuoka, Japan.
Sanchez was part of Canada’s silver medal-clinching 4x100 meters freestyle relay team at the Tokyo Olympics. She also owns three world championships gold medals while swimming for Canada.
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