Filipino Athletes Prepare to Grab Some Medals at Tokyo Olympics 2021

[ASEAN NOW News]

Since the Philippines first participated in the 1924 Paris Olympics, the country has been able to win a total of 10 medals, three silvers and seven bronzes.

 

 

The Philippine Olympic Committee has now currently confirmed over 19 Filipino athletes who will be competing in Tokyo this month.

 

As from July 2, 2021 the final list of Filipino athletes who have qualified are:

Ernest John Obiena (Athletics - men's pole vault)

Carlos Yulo (Gymnastics - Artistic)

Eumir Marcial (Boxing - men's middleweight)

Irish Magno (Boxing - women's flyweight)

Nesthy Petecio (Boxing - women's featherweight)

Carlo Paalam (Boxing - men's flyweight)

Hidilyn Diaz (Weightlifting - women's 55kg)

Cris Nievarez (Rowing - men's single sculls)

Kurt Barbosa (Taekwondo - men's -58kg)

Margielyn Didal (Skateboard - women's street)

Elreen Ando (weightlifting - women's 64kg)

Jayson Valdez (Shooting - men's air rifle 10m)

Juvic Pagunsan (Men's golf)

Kristina Knott (Athletics - women's 200m)

Kiyomi Watanabe (Judo - women's -63kg)

Bianca Pagdanganan (Women's golf)

Yuka Saso (Women's golf)

Remedy Rule (Swimming - women's 200m butterfly)

Luke Gebbie (Swimming - men's 50m and 100m freestyle)

 

Hopefuls for medals????

 

Yuka Saso

 

Well certainly Yuka Saso Filipino-Japanese golfer Yuka Saso's historic victory at the 76th U.S. Women's Open Championship has energized the golf community in the Philippines and bolstered hopes for the country's first Olympics gold medal.

 

Hidilyn Diaz

 

Then there is Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz from Mampang in Zamboanga City who almost reached the top of the podium with her silver medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Now, the first and, so far, the only Filipina to ever win an Olympic medal is hoping to be just one heave away from the gold.

 

This year the country will also field its first rower for 21 years when Cris Nievarez from Atimonan, Quezon, will become the country’s bet for the men’s singles sculls rowing competition in the Tokyo.

 

Cris Nievarez

 

Apart from these three athletes the others listed will be trying their best to win a medal as well.

 

Pressure still on for Organisers in Tokyo

 

The pressure of hosting an Olympics during a still-active pandemic is beginning to show in Japan.

The games begin July 23, with organizers determined they will go on, even with a reduced number of spectators or possibly none at all.

 

 

 

While Japan has made remarkable progress to vaccinate its population against COVID-19, the drive is losing steam because of supply shortages.

 

With tens of thousands of visitors coming to a country that is only 13.8% fully vaccinated, gaps in border controls have emerged, highlighted by the discovery of infections among the newly arrived team from Uganda, with positive tests for the highly contagious delta variant.

 

As cases grow in Tokyo, so have fears that the games will spread the virus.

 

“We must stay on high alert,” Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters on July 1. Noting the rising caseloads, he said “having no spectators is a possibility.”