A “saddened and disappointed” Manny Pacquiao yesterday conceded that his Olympic boxing dream was over after the ring great was denied a berth at this year’s Games in Paris.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) rejected a special request for Pacquiao to take part, the Philippine Olympic Committee announced on Sunday.
Pacquiao, 45, who hung up his gloves in 2021 before an unsuccessful presidential run, said he respected the decision of the IOC, which has an age limit of 40 for Olympic boxers.
Photo: AP
“While I am very saddened and disappointed, I understand and accept the age-limit rules,” said a statement from Pacquiao, who won world titles at eight different weights during a glittering professional career spanning more than a quarter of a century.
The Philippines last year asked the IOC for a “universality place” for Pacquiao, who has never boxed at the Olympics.
Universality places are usually awarded to athletes from smaller nations who struggle to secure slots in the Olympics through normal qualification.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino on Sunday said that the IOC decision would deprive the nation of a “sure podium or first ever gold” in Olympic boxing.
Pacquiao said he would continue to support his nation’s athletes competing at the Olympics.
He also reminded his fans that despite his retirement, he intends “to bring pride and honor to my country inside the boxing ring in the near future.”
A Pacquiao aide yesterday confirmed that Pacquiao would fight Thai kickboxer Buakaw Banchamek in an April 20 exhibition match in Bangkok.
The match against Muay Thai great Buakaw would be fought under international boxing rules, the aide said.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
The Minnesota Timberwolves, with so many promising performances spoiled by late mistakes fresh in their memory bank, sure timed this strong finish well. Jaden McDaniels scored a career playoff-high 30 points and spearheaded Minnesota’s stifling defense on an ailing Luka Doncic, and the Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-104 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday night. “Jaden never looks tired. He looks like he could play 48 minutes,” said teammate Anthony Edwards, who had 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Julius Randle added 22 points for the Wolves, who outscored
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
RSS