Dad roots for son, 10, representing Singapore at Pokemon World Championship: 'The best gift I can give'
Just 10 years old, Emilio Cerda is already doing what most Singaporeans can only dream of doing — representing the country on the global stage.The Singaporean has set his sights on the upcoming 2026 Pokemon World Championships in San Francisco from Aug 28 to 30.Emilio will be taking part in the trading card game (TCG) competition's junior division, which will see him test his mettle against players under 12 years of age from all over the world. «If he goes and he wins, it's fantastic because there's like $2 million (S$2.5 million) in the prize pool, so he'll basically be paying for university with a first place placing,» said Emilio's father, Jose Cerda, 40.Cerda, an American on a spousal visa, is married to a Singaporean who grew up in Hong Kong. They also have a daughter, six, who has just started on her Pokemon journey.«But if he goes and he just has the best time and wins a couple of games — or even if he doesn't — it just ends the weekend with a positive experience,» Cerda told AsiaOne on Tuesday (July 28).«That to me, as far as his Pokemon journey goes, is the best gift I can give my son.»