Pac-Man’s setback. Manny Pacquiao, the legendary Philippine boxer, had his candidacy for the Paris games this summer (July 26 – August 11) rejected by the International Olympic Committee, announced the head of the Philippine committee on Sunday. Last fall, Manila sent a “special request” to the IOC for Pacquiao (45 years old), who has won numerous world titles in six different weight categories, to come out of retirement and participate in the games despite a rule setting the age limit for Olympic boxers at 40.
However, on Sunday, the president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, Abraham Tolentino, stated to AFP that the request had been denied, with the governing body of the Games choosing to stick with their “rules”. The Philippine committee had hoped to grant Pacquiao a “universal place”. These are given to athletes from countries struggling to get spots at the Olympics through normal qualification routes.
The IOC stated that there were nine universal places for boxing in Paris, five for women and four for men. “He could have assured a podium or been the first gold medal for the country” in Olympic boxing, Tolentino regretted, adding that they must “follow the rules established by the IOC”.
Pacquiao retired from professional boxing in 2021 to unsuccessfully run for president of the Philippines. Last October, the champion, who has never participated in the Olympics, told AFP that he was “not too old” to face younger boxers, saying he felt like he was “30 years old or 28 years old”.
