Manny Pacquiao, the former eight-division world champion, is considering competing in the Paris Olympics, according to Philippine Olympic Committee President Bambol Tolentino.
According to a Manila Bulletin report, Tolentino revealed that Pacquiao’s team has contacted him regarding the boxer’s potential participation in the Paris Games. Tolentino is in discussions with the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which oversees Olympic boxing in the absence of the International Boxing Association (AIBA).
At 44 years old, Pacquiao is ineligible for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China due to an age limit set at 40 for all sports. However, he has the chance to compete in two qualifying tournaments in the first quarter of the following year in Busto Arsizio, Italy from February 20 to March 12 and in Bangkok, Thailand from May 23 to June 5.
Another route for Pacquiao is securing a place through the Universality rule, with the IOC granting five women and four men entry under this provision.
In recent Olympics, professional boxers have been permitted to participate. In the 2020 Tokyo Games, 43 of 186 competitors were professionals, including Philippine middleweight bronze medalist Eumir Marcial and Armenia’s Arman Darchinyan.
Pacquiao, weighing 66kg, must decide between the 63.5kg and 71kg divisions for the Paris Olympics.
Filipino boxers have historically excelled in the Olympics, contributing eight out of the country’s 12 medalists. The Philippine boxing team is currently undergoing its final training phase in Canberra, Australia, in preparation for the upcoming Asian Games.
