MANILA – Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao is hoping to represent the country in the 2024 Paris Olympics, said Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham Tolentino.
The camp of the eight-division world boxing champion have reached out to Tolentino’s office on Wednesday to know how Pacquiao can earn a qualification to the Summer Games.
Tolentino added that he is conferring with the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to know how Pacquiao can join.
“Senator Pacquiao’s camp reached out saying our Filipino ring idol wants to fight in Paris,” said Tolentino. “The ABAP, through its chairman Ricky Vargas, will welcome him to the national team and will assist in his qualification.”
The 44-year-old Pacquiao is looking for other Olympic Qualifying Tournaments as he is ineligible for the upcoming Asian Games, which has an age limit for athletes at 40 years old in all sports.
“(Pacquiao) can no longer vie for qualification in the Asian Games in Hangzhou next month. He can qualify for Paris through two Olympic qualifying tournaments set in the first and second quarters of 2024,” Tolentino said.
Another way for Pacquiao to secure a berth, according to Tolentino, is via the Universality rule, which the IOC would grant but only on nine places under Universality at the Paris Games.
Pacquiao, according to Tolentino, currently weighs 66 kilograms and has to choose between 63.50 kilograms or 71 kilograms that are on the Paris boxing program.
Professional boxers have been allowed to compete at the Olympics and, recently in Tokyo, 43 of the 186 competitors were professionals, including middleweight bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial.
Marcial, who captured a bronze medal in Tokyo, opted to delay his fifth professional fight in September and will focus on his return to the Olympics through Hangzhou where he’ll be fighting as a light heavyweight./PN
