The International Olympic Committee Boxing Task Force (IOC-BTF) has sent to the Philippine Olympic Committee confirmatory notices of qualification to the Tokyo Olympics of two more Filipino boxers.
Joining the list are Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, who together with earlier qualifiers Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno, will banner the Filipino boxing campaign in the Olympiad in July in Tokyo, Japan.
Marcial and Magno booked tickets via the Asia-Oceania Olympic Qualifiers in Amman, Jordan in March, 2020.
Petecio and Paalam qualified by virtue of their highest standing in their respective weight categories, according to the Boxing Task Force rankings.
Marcial qualified for the Men’s middleweight class (75 kg), Magno in the Women’s Flyweight (52 kg), Petecio in the Women’s Featherweight (57 kg) and Paalam in the Men’s Flyweight (52kg).
ABAP President Ricky Vargas expressed elation over the news and rallied the Filipino people to throw their full support to the campaign of the four national boxers.
“Let us all come together and focus on the challenges ahead not only of our boxers but all Filipino athletes. Now, more than ever, they need us to stand firmly behind them”, Vargas said.
The qualification of the two more boxers from the earlier two qualifiers now brings to six the number of Filipino athletes going to the Olympics. The other two athletes are pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena and gymnast Carlos Yulo.
Meanwhile, an increase in the number of national athletes who needed to be given allowances may have led to delays in the release of financial assistance meant for them.
But national athletes preparing for the Tokyo Olympics and those who are joining qualifiers are already getting the stipends due to them.
National training director Marc Velasco said funds for around 90 athletes have already been allocated by the Philippine Sports Commission since Wednesday.
This includes Marcial and Magno, Obiena and Yulo—and the rest who are undergoing training under a bubble setup.
For now, the PSC is waiting for the approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases on the resumption of outdoor training. (P. Atencio, MS)
