Mikee Romero breaks into Top 25 of World Polo score

FLORIDA,  USA — In a second that can be etched within the annals of Philippine sports activities historical past, businessman, lawmaker, and sportsman Mikee Romero has galloped into greatness—turning into the primary Filipino to wreck into the Top 25 of the World Polo Tour (WPT) novice scores.

Romero now stands at World Rank No. 24, with 110 WPT issues earned thru a shocking debut on the 2025 Gauntlet of Polo, probably the most prestigious and significant polo collection on the earth.

With this feat, he now not best turns into the highest-ranked Filipino in WPT historical past but additionally surpasses Thailand’s Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha and Brunei’s Mateen Bolkiah to transform Southeast Asia’s best novice polo participant.

The Gauntlet of Polo—continuously referred to as the “Olympics of Polo”—is held on the National Polo Center in Florida and incorporates 3 iconic tournaments: the C.V. Whitney Cup, the USPA Gold Cup, and the U.S. Open Polo Championship.

For greater than a century, this hallowed turf has been the playground of Argentine, American, and European titans.

But in 2025, the thunder of Filipino hoofbeats broke during the silence, rewriting historical past in a recreation as soon as idea out of achieve for Southeast Asia.

“It still feels surreal,” Romero stated.

“To be among the Top 25 is a huge honor—but it’s more than a personal milestone. This is a triumph for every Filipino who dares to dream, for a nation that never had a place on this field—until now.”

Romero’s GlobalPort Polo Team delivered one of the crucial Gauntlet’s maximum sudden and provoking runs.

It toppled international powerhouses La Dolfina/Tamera and Park Place—groups that finally claimed the collection’ best honors.

GlobalPort surged to the semifinals of the C.V. Whitney Cup, got here inside putting distance within the USPA Gold Cup, and fell heartbreakingly quick in america Open quarterfinals, shedding 11–10 to La Dolfina/Catamount after main by means of a function with simply 80 seconds last.

Yet the marketing campaign was once extra than simply wins and losses.

It was once a challenge of nationwide satisfaction. Romero and his crew planted the Philippine flag deep into the center of elite polo territory.

Along the way in which, additionally they secured 2d position within the USPA Bronze Cup and captured the Sterling Cup—additional cementing their legitimacy at the international degree.

“For us, it wasn’t just about winning—it was about belonging,” Romero declared.

“Belonging to the world stage. And I believe we’ve earned that right.”

The WPT ranks gamers according to their efficiency in probably the most aggressive tournaments around the world. 

For an Asian participant—let on my own a Filipino—to wreck into its higher echelon is sort of exceptional. Romero’s upward push alerts a daring new bankruptcy, shattering polo’s colonial obstacles and opening the gates to new cultures, new contenders, and a brand new technology.

While Russian banker Andrey Borodin lately tops the novice scores with 509 issues, Romero’s presence only some tiers beneath is little short of groundbreaking.

On the pro aspect, Argentine legends Adolfo Cambiaso Jr. and Adolfo Cambiaso Sr. stay atop the leaderboard, whilst GlobalPort’s Bartolome “Barto” Castagnola, one of the crucial event’s breakout stars, ranks No. 6 globally.

Romero’s adventure from the halls of Congress to the fields of Florida is the stuff of contemporary folklore.

As he completes his 3rd and ultimate time period as Congressman below the 1PACMAN Party-list, he now leads a distinct campaign—now not in politics, however in polo—sporting the hopes of 110 million Filipinos with each and every swing of the mallet.

“This is just the beginning,” Romero stated. “

We are not simply spectators—we’re gamers within the area. And I promise you, the Filipino will experience once more.”