The International Olympic Committee has made it clear that there will be no exceptions made for boxing legend Manny Pacquiao to compete in the Paris Games, despite his desire to do so at the age of 45, five years beyond the entry limit.
Pacquiao, who retired from boxing in 2021, expressed his wish to participate in the Olympic tournament in Paris, where the medal bouts are scheduled to take place at the Roland Garros tennis complex.
In response to Pacquiao’s aspirations, the IOC communicated with Olympic officials in the Philippines, affirming that the age limit for boxers, set at 40, would remain unchanged.
Following the IOC’s decision to assume control of Olympic boxing by derecognizing the International Boxing Association, this rule enforcement falls under its jurisdiction.
The age limit for Olympic boxing was adjusted upwards from 34 to 40 in 2013, a modification that theoretically would have allowed Pacquiao to vie for a spot in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
However, he opted against pursuing Olympic participation at that time, as he had concurrently been elected as a senator in his native country.
While it remains uncertain whether Pacquiao would have sought qualification for the Paris Olympics through the upcoming tournaments in Italy and Thailand, there were discussions within the Philippines Olympic body regarding a potential “universality” entry.
Such entries are essentially granted to countries with minimal Olympic representation, typically struggling to qualify based on performance criteria.
Nevertheless, the IOC clarified its stance on Sunday, indicating that the Philippines did not qualify for universality placements due to its substantial success in Olympic events.
“The Philippine Olympic Committee exceeds the threshold for universality placements, as it has averaged more than eight athletes in individual sports/disciplines over the past two editions of the Olympic Games,” stated the IOC.
Pacquiao concluded his illustrious boxing career in September 2021 at the age of 42, having participated in 72 fights and securing an unprecedented 12 world titles across eight different weight divisions.
