CDM Araneta expects a dozen more qualifiers for Tokyo Olympics

AT least a dozen more Filipinos could potentially join the six athletes who have already qualified for the Olympics, according to the country’s Chef de Mission to the Tokyo Games Mariano “Nonong” Araneta.

“I’m looking at 17 or more Filipino Olympians prior to the June deadline,” Araneta told Businessmirror on Thursday, adding June is the final month of Olympic qualifiers in various sports.

Mariano said he is hopeful on the chances of Kiyomi Watanabe of judo, Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan of golf, Eric Cray and Kristina Knott of athletics, Margielyn Didal of skateboarding and Kim Mangrobang of triathlon.

Also in the radar, Araneta said, are Jamie Lim, Joanne Orbon, Ivan Agustin, Sharief Afif, Jason Macaalay, Alwyn Batican and Filipinojapanese Junna Tsukii is of karatedo. They will vie in the sport’s qualifier in Paris or Istanbul in June.

The country could also qualify two compulsory—man and woman— representatives in swimming, Araneta said.

Rio 2016 weightlifting silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz is virtually the country’s seventh qualifier. She only needs to participate in the Asian weightlifting championships in Tashkent next month to officially seal her ticket to the Tokyo games set from July 23 to August 8.

Already qualified for the Olympics are boxers Eumir Felix Marcial, Irish Magno, Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, gymnast Carlo Yulo and pole vaulter EJ Obiena.

Araneta said Petecio and Paalam’s addition to the list of qualifiers boosts to the country’s bid for its first Olympic gold medal.

“It’s good we have two additional athletes for the Olympics,” said Araneta, also the Philippine Football Federation president. The two boxers qualified because of their high positions in the boxing world rankings. “Carlo [Paalam], Nesthy [Petecio] I’m sure will prove their worth.”