Boxers Petecio, Paalam secure Tokyo Olympic berths

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines will have four boxers eyeing to end the country’s long search for an elusive first Olympic gold medal after Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam received slots via their high rankings from the International Olympic Committee Boxing Task Force (IOC-BTF) Friday.

Petecio and Paalam thus joined Eumir Felix Marcial and Irish Magno, who claimed tickets to the Summer Games via the Asia-Oceania Olympic Qualifiers in Amman, Jordan last year.

The two will also be the fifth and sixth Filipino Tokyo entrants with the first two being pole-vaulter EJ Obiena and gymnast Caloy Yulo.

ABAP president Ricky Vargas expressed his elation over the news and rallied the Filipino people to throw their full support to the gold medal bid.

“Let us all get 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,“ said Vargas.

Marcial will compete in the men’s middleweight class (75 kg), Magno in women’s flyweight (52 kg), Petecio in women’s featherweight (57 kg) and Paalam in men’s flyweight (52kg).

The decision by the IOC-BTF to hand out Tokyo seats via rankings was due to the cancellation of the world qualifiers in June in Paris, France.