Filipino jetski champion Anton Ignacio. Photos courtesy of Joyce Ignacio
MANILA -- Four-time jetski world champion Anton Ignacio aims to make waves in his second appearance at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand next week.
Ignacio is among the seven Filipino athletes in the Philippine National Jet Ski Team competing in the regional showcase.
He recently won two titles at the 2025 International Jet Sports Boating Association World Finals held in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, United States.
At just 19 years old, Ignacio says he's heading in with more experience and maturity.
"Yes, that's a big factor also. My maturity and age. It's been really good. I feel like I'm really prepared and we have a really good chance at the upcoming SEA Games," he said in an interview with ABS-CBN News on Friday.
The Filipino jetski champion first competed in the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games, when he was just 17 years old.
Now that he's finished with his 'warm-up,' he believes he has a better chance at the podium this time around.
"I'd say this feeling from the first one was pretty different because the first one for me was like a warm up and like, it was really a good experience because I wasn't really expecting much at that time. It was my first time, there wasn't that much pressure," Ignacio said.
"But I'd say now the pressure is more because I've been winning a lot recently, so I'm really hoping I can perform and do well for our country," he added.
Ignacio practices from Friday to Sunday, fulfilling his obligations as a second year college student on the weekdays.
"I work out more often now and during the practices, I don't really take breaks. I'm in the water practicing for like four hours, three to five hours. I'm really trying to make my body strong and my mental also good," he said.
"I think the sport taught me to balance my time and not only focus on one thing and learn how to be responsible. So I feel like that's where I learned to handle all these things," Ignacio explained.
The 19-year-old says racers from host Thailand and Cambodia are his biggest threats in the regional showcase.
"My expectations are good. I feel like I've been working hard a lot. I've been working hard and putting the time in, so I feel like we'll have something good this year," he said.
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FULFILLING DAD'S DREAM
Filipino jetski champion Anton Ignacio. Photos courtesy of Joyce Ignacio
Jetski racing runs deep in Anton's blood, as his father Bombet was a national jetski champion in the 1990s and competed in international competitions.
The opportunity to represent the country again at the SEA Games is not just a personal achievement for Anton, but for his dad as well.
For Anton, he feels like he is continuing his father's dreams to make it big in jetski.
"I feel like I'm continuing his legacy pretty well because he wasn't able to join the SEA Games that time... But I'm really proud and I'm really grateful, I mean, to have this position," he shared.
The 19-year-old credits a lot of his success to the solid support from his parents.
"It's really a big factor. I mean, without my parents, I wouldn't really have gone this far. And without the support, I wouldn't be here. So I'm super grateful," Anton said.
The four-time jetski world champion wants to win a medal at the SEA Games, in the hopes of raising more interest and awareness on the sport.
"We've all been practicing really hard as a team also. So yeah, we're going to see. And we have a good chance, all of us," he said.
Anton shared advice to young Filipinos who want to try out professional jetski racing.
"I'd say if you like adrenaline and going fast, I feel like this sport is really good for you. And it's really fun. So yeah, I think that's the start of it. I feel like that. Because some people don't like going fast or adrenaline. So it really depends if you like that," he said.
The 33rd SEA Games will run from December 9 to 20 in Thailand.