Hobby Stadium hosted a successful public send-off event this afternoon for its contingent of players heading to the 2025 Pokémon World Championships in Anaheim, California. The event celebrated the ten decorated competitors from Team Hobby Stadium, who impressively secured half of the 20 total slots awarded to the entire Philippine national team.

To further support their journey, Hobby Stadium also provided cash incentives to the players to assist with their preparations for the international tournament.

The annual Pokémon World Championships is considered one of the most significant gaming tournaments globally. Having been hosted by The Pokémon Company over the past 21 years in various countries, with the most recent cities including London (2022), Yokohama (2023), and Honolulu (2024). Strictly by invite-only, approximately 2,000 of the best players around the world gather to compete and bring home the coveted Pikachu trophy while simultaneously drawing in hundreds of thousands of viewers and visitors to the event.

The players earned their coveted invitations through a year of outstanding performance in the official Championship Point circuit and will now compete against the best in the world.

The Hobby Stadium players competing as part of Team Philippines include:

Masters Division

• Juancho Saldana
• Aira Pineda
• Earl Christian Yu
• Christian Anthony Fernandez
• Xiayi “Leo” Lin

Seniors Division

• Jayden Max Yu

Juniors Division

• Scott Carlisle Go
• Aiden Saldana
• Yuxi “Momo” Lin
• Reece Teo

These players will proudly represent both Team Philippines and their home store, Hobby Stadium, a central hub for the competitive Pokémon community. Their journey has been made possible through the invaluable support of a dedicated group of sponsors.

“We are immensely proud of every player from our community who has qualified,” said Wayne Patrick Hsu, Co-Owner of Hobby Stadium. “To see them reach this level and join the national team is a testament to their dedication. We extend our deepest gratitude to our sponsors whose belief in our players helps turn this dream into a reality. We are excited to see them make our country proud in Anaheim.”

This initiative is backed by the generous support of the following partners:

• QAT
• Cellboy
• Jollibee
• Co
• Ford Marikina
• Hi-Ho Crunchy Cracker Nuts
• Hello Money by AUB

The strong turnout of fans, family, and media at the send-off showcased the community’s immense pride and excitement for the players’ upcoming journey.