MANILA -- Swimming's international federation has approved Kayla Sanchez’s change of nationality from Canada to the Philippines effective Thursday.

“The World Aquatics has approved the request for the sport nationality’s change of the Athlete [Sanchez], born on 7 April 2001, in the Aquatics sports of Swimming, from Canada (CAN) to Philippines (PHI),” World Aquatics legal counsel Loic Loutan said in a letter dated July 4 and transmitted to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) on Thursday.

“Therefore, the Athlete is entitled to represent Philippines (PHI) in international competitions from 6 July 2023 onwards,” Loutan added.

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The POC, through its president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, fervently pursued Sanchez’s change of nationality for the past year, which included her completing a year-long residency requirement.

“Finally the good news,” Tolentino said. “The country now has a very strong anchor in its national swimming team.”

Sanchez will officially start swimming for the Philippines in the Hangzhou 19th Asian Games set for September 23 to October 8. She won’t be competing at the World Aquatics Championships that starts July 14 in Fukuoka, Japan upon the advice of her coach.

“Thank you so much for helping me get the approval from World Aquatics,” Sanchez earlier told Tolentino.

Sanchez was part of Canada’s silver medal-clinching 4x100 meters freestyle relay team at the Tokyo Olympics. She also owns three world championship gold medals while swimming for Canada.