Boxer Magno helplessly in crossroads
Tokyo Olympics-bound boxer Irish Magno said there is nothing she can do except to continue training amid the possibility of the Games getting cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Bilang atleta tuloy lang talaga sa training, hindi ko masyado iniisip yung mga balitang hindi matutuloy. Siguro hanggat walang announcement, tuloy lang kami sa preparation,” Magno said from a ‘training bubble’ at Inspire Academy in Calamba, Laguna.
Magno is with her fellow national boxers, as well as athletes from taekwondo and karate preparing for various international tournaments that serve as Olympic qualifiers.
Magno and Eumir Felix Marcial earned their spots in the Tokyo Olympics via the Asian Olympic Qualifiers last March in Amman, Jordan. However, the Games did not push through last July due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Officials from the International Olympic Committee and the Japanese Olympic Committee reset the Games to this coming July with the hope of a better health situation.
But with the latest development on the pandemic – highlighted by Japan’s struggles to control the spread with six months to go before the opening ceremony
– calls surface once more to altogether cancel the Tokyo Olympics.
Aside from Magno and Marcial, two other Filipinos have secured spots in the Olympics – EJ Obiena of pole vault (athletics) and gymnast Carlos Yulo. With the exception of Magno, all three are training abroad.
Marcial is in the US, Obiena in Italy, and Yulo already in Japan.
There are a few more Olympic hopefuls waiting to make the grade, including Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz of weightlifting who needs to join one more OQT to complete the required six events to advance in the Games.
Another potential Tokyo bet is Junna Tsukii of karatedo as she continues to train in Japan. In a Tweet via her @junnatsukiiv888 account, she said training is very important in every competition. “Whether the next tournament is the Olympic qualifying or another tournament, we are preparing for the gold medal,” she said.
Coach Boy Velasco of the boxing national team said the situation regarding the Tokyo Olympics is painful for the athletes since they’ve been waiting for this competition since last year. “Siyempre nagaalala din sila kung matutuloy ba o hindi, kaya nga sabi ko sa mga atleta natin huwag na nila pansinin kung anong mga balita ang lumalabas. Hanggat walang sinasabi na cancel ang laro, tuloy lang kami,” Velasco said.