Last month it was reported that former eight-division champ Manny Pacquiao is heavily targeting an opportunity to win an Olympic medal at the 2024 Olympics.
As these rumors have progressed, we followed those reports to inform that Manny Pacquiao may face difficulty in qualifying for the upcoming Olympic games given that according to the Philippine Olympic Committee President, Bambol Tolentino, any boxers who want to compete must be aged between 19 to 40.
The Philippines has made a “special request” to the International Olympic Committee to let Manny Pacquiao box at the Paris Games despite the former world champion exceeding the age limit, a Filipino official said on Tuesday.#NET25Newshttps://t.co/p7pj8gOLFa
— NET25 (@NET25TV) October 10, 2023
Despite the restriction, the Philippines has made a special request to the International Olympic Committee to let Manny Pacquiao box, as they seek a “universality place” for Pacquiao. Universality places are given to athletes from countries that struggle to secure slots in the Olympics through traditional qualification methods. President Tolentino is arguing that Pacquiao is an icon of the sport, and his participation would enhance the image of boxing and the Olympic games.
Competing in the Olympics has been a lifelong dream of Pacquiao, and he revealed that he in fact attempted to compete when he was a young amateur, though the amateur coaches felt Pacquiao was not “good enough.”
Manny Pacquiao turned professional at 16 years old in 1995, one year prior to the Olympic games which were held in Atlanta, Georgia.