Manny Pacquiao won’t be showcasing his legendary ring savvy at the Paris Olympics primarily because the former eight-division world professional champion is overaged.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), responding to a letter from the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) late last year, appealing for the former senator’s participation in Paris, emphasized the 40-year-old age limit for athletes in the Olympics.
Pacquiao is already 45 years old.
Had Pacquiao met the age regulation, his possible qualification for the Olympics would require going through qualifiers, such as last year’s Asian Games where Eumir Felix Marcial earned a light heavyweight silver in Hangzhou.
“Too bad our beloved boxing icon is disqualified because of his age, and everyone needs to go through qualifiers in all sports to participate in Paris,” POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said on Tuesday.
James McLeod, IOC Director for National Olympic Committee Relations, wrote to the POC regarding their request for Pacquiao to box in Paris.
“The only valid boxing qualification system for Paris 2024 is the one approved by the IOC Executive Board in September 2022, published and distributed to NOCs and boxing national federations on 6 December 2022,” McLeod said in his letter.
“This includes the age limit of 40,” McLeod added.
Pacquiao also couldn’t qualify for Paris under the Universality rule.
“The Universality places for the Olympic Games will not be allocated to NOCs with an average of more than eight athletes in individual sports/disciplines at the last two editions of the Olympic Games [Rio and Tokyo],” McLeod added.
The Philippines had 17 athletes in Tokyo – all in individual sports – with Hidilyn Diaz Naranjo winning the country’s first Olympic gold medal.
Meanwhile, Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio clinched silver medals. and Marcial bagged bronze in boxing.
So far, four Filipinos have qualified for Paris – world No. 2 pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena, Marcial, and artistic gymnasts Carlos Yulo and Aleah Finnegan.
