THE Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) is still hopeful that more Filipino athletes will qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics to have more chances of ending the gold-medal drought.
Chief of Mission and POC First Vice President Joey Romasanta said they are eyeing 11 athletes to represent the country in the Summer Games, as they are set to finalize the contingent on July 11.
So far, boxers Charly Suarez and Rogen Ladon, table-tennis player Ian Lariba, taekwondo jin Kirstie Elaine Alora and weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz have secured the tickets in Rio.
And under the universality rule of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a country with no entry in athletics and swimming can send a male and female athlete for the participatory objective of the IOC.
The POC already submitted a bid for long-jump queen Marestella Torres-Sunang to join sprinter Eric Cray in athletics. Tankers Jasmine Alkhaldi, Jessie Lacuna, Joshua Hall and Roxanne Yu are the candidates to take the berth in swimming.
“We are eyeing to send 11 athletes this Olympics. We hope that we will get the slots from the IOC about the inclusion of our swimmers and golfers. It will be hard, but the chances are good,” Romasanta said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday in Shakey’s Malate.
Both Alkhaldi and Lacuna competed in the 2012 London Games, while national record-holder Hall and Youth Olympian Yu are hoping that their best times will meet the qualifying time for the quadrennial event.
In golf, Miguel Tabuena and Angelo Que are also vying for Olympic spots. Golf will make its return to the Summer Games since it was last played in 1904.
“Tabuena is also assured of a slot. Que still has to fight for his place because there is still a qualification tournament until July 5,” Romasanta added.
The men’s boxing will still be competing in the International Boxing Association World Olympic Qualification event in Azerbaijan from June 14 to 26, while Gilas Pilipinas is gunning for the Olympic berth in the qualifying tournament to be held in the country this July. Ramon Rafael Bonilla
Image credits: Roy Domingo