WORLD boxing icon Manny Pacquiao isn’t through being an athlete—he wants to extend his legendary ring career to next year’s Paris Olympics.
This was bared on Wednesday by Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino who said that Pacquiao’s camp reached out to know how the former eighth-division world champion could qualify for Paris.
Immediately, the POC conferred with the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which is supervising Olympic boxing while the International Boxing Association is suspended.
“Senator Pacquiao’s camp reached out saying our Filipino ring idol wants to fight in Paris,” Tolentino said. “But the Senator can no longer vie for qualification in the Asian Games in Hangzhou next month.”
The Asian Games—an Olympic qualifier—that start September 23 have an age limit for athletes at 40 years old and according to Tolentino, Pacquiao, who’s 44, could qualify for Paris through two Olympic qualifying tournaments set in the first and second quarters of 2024.
The third, Tolentino said, is for Pacquiao to secure a berth under the Universality rule, which the IOC would grant. There are, however, only nine places for boxing under Universality at the Paris Games—five for women and only four for men.
A close aide of Pacquiao confirmed that the former senator is willing to fight in the Olympics and that they have already reached out to Tolentino.
Tolentino also said that the ABAP, through its chairman Ricky Vargas, will welcome Pacquiao to the national team and will assist in his qualification.
“He [Pacquiao] is very welcome to fight in the Olympics and it’s an honor if he can be allowed to represent us,” Vargas told BusinessMirror on Wednesday. “So far, we don’t know yet if he needs to qualify or undergo qualification or not. We still need to know that.”
“We need to get clarification from the IOC, how can it be done,” Vargas added. “But it’s really an honor if he’ll be allowed.”
Pacquiao currently weighs 66 kgs and has to choose between 63.50 kgs or 71 kgs that are on the Paris boxing program.
Professional boxers have been allowed to compete at the Olympics and in Tokyo, 43 of the 186 competitors were professionals, including middleweight bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial, who beat fellow professional, Armenia’s Arman Darchinyan, in the quarterfinals.
Prior to Tokyo, Marcial booked his first professional victory—unanimous decision over American Andrew Whitfield on December 16, 2020, in Los Angeles.
Marcial 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.