Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam will be at the forefront as flag-bearers of a 16-member Philippine delegation in the unprecedented opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics on Friday.
“We’ll be a proud and hopeful 16-strong Team Philippines in the opening ceremony,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino from Paris. Tolentino won’t be joining the parade of countries and will be sitting in the Olympic Family section on a bank along the Seine River.
Joining the two boxing silver medalists from Tokyo 2020 are their fellow boxers Aira Villegas and Hergie Bacyadan, hurdlers Lauren Hoffman and John Cabang, swimmers Kayla Sanchez and Jarod Hatch, gymnast Aleah Finnegan, and fencer Samantha Catantan.
Chef de Mission Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla and sports officials Michael Angelo Vargas (swimming), Marcus Manalo (boxing), Cynthia Carrion Norton (gymnastics), Patrick Gregorio (rowing), and Agapito “Terry” Capistrano (athletics) will also be on the boat assigned to the Philippines in the lavish ceremony that starts at 7:30 PM in France (1:30 AM in Manila).
Tolentino said that boxer Eumir Felix Marcial, gymnast Carlos Yulo, and rower Joanie Delgaco will open their campaigns on Saturday and won’t be joining the parade.
Pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena will also be absent, as he wants to focus more on his pre-game preparations in Normandy.
The three weightlifters – Vanessa Sarno, John Febuar Ceniza, and Erleen Ann Ando – have yet to conclude their training in Metz and are due at the Olympic Village on August 6, according to Tolentino.
“The schedules of our Olympian athletes have been meticulously crafted by their coaches so there won’t be hitches as they approach their competition days,” said Tolentino.
He made the rounds of the Athletes’ Village after arriving in Paris on Wednesday and met former multiple pro boxing champion Gennadiy Gennadyevich Golovkin, or Triple G, who’s part of the Kazakhstan boxing team.
Completing the 22-athlete Team Philippines are gymnasts Emma Malabuyo and Levi Ruivivar, golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina, and judoka Kiyomi Watanabe.
The Paris Games organizers describe the opening ceremony as “bold, original, and unique.” For the first time in Olympic history, the opening will not take place in a stadium but on the Seine River.
