Mikee Romero (photo above): This is a triumph for every Filipino. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Mikee Romero just joined the current toasts of Philippine sports after the sportsman/businessman broke into the Top 25 of the World Polo Tour amateur rankings, becoming the first Southeast Asian to do so.

With the latest rankings putting the PBA team owner at No. 24, Romero surpassed Thailand’s Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha and Brunei’s Mateen Bolkiah as the region’s top amateur polo player, thanks to a superlative performance in The Gauntlet of Polo, long regarded as the Olympics of the sport.

“It still feels surreal,” Romero said. “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.”

The event, held at the National Polo Center in Florida and comprised of three iconic tournaments: the CV Whitney Cup, the USPA Gold Cup, and the US Open Polo Championship, has long been regarded the playground of Argentine, American, and European titans.
Romero’s GlobalPort Polo Team, though, broke that notion when it delivered one of the Gauntlet’s most unexpected and inspiring runs, toppling global powerhouses La Dolfina/Tamera and Park Place—teams that eventually claimed the series’ top honors.

GlobalPort surged to the semifinals of the CV Whitney Cup, came within striking distance in the USPA Gold Cup, and fell heartbreakingly short in the US Open quarterfinals, losing, 11–10, to La Dolfina/Catamount after leading by a goal with just 80 seconds remaining.

“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.”
Romero’s rise signals the end of polo’s colonial boundaries while opening the gates to new cultures, new contenders, and a new era.