The candidacy of Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao for the Paris Games this summer (July 26-August 11) was rejected by the International Olympic Committee, the head of the Philippine committee announced on Sunday. Last fall, Manila made a “special request” to the IOC so that Pacquiao (45), who has won numerous world titles in six different weight categories, could come out of retirement and take part in the Games despite of a rule setting the age limit for Olympic boxers at 40.
But on Sunday, the president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, Abraham Tolentino, told AFP that the request had been rejected, with the Games governing body preferring to stick to its “rules”. The Philippine committee hoped to give Manny Pacquiao access to a “place of universality”. These are given to athletes from countries struggling to secure places at the Olympics through normal qualification routes.
The IOC said there were nine universality places for boxing in Paris, five for women and four for men. “It could have secured a podium or been the country’s first gold medal” in Olympic boxing, regretted Abraham Tolentino, who however added that they had to “follow the rules established by the IOC”.
Pacquiao retired from professional boxing in 2021 in an unsuccessful attempt to become president of the Philippines. Last October, the champion, who has never competed in the Olympics, told AFP he was “not too old” to face younger boxers, saying he felt like he was “30 years old or 28 years old”.
