IOC deny Pacquiao’s bid to compete in Paris Olympics

Manny Pacquiao wanted to compete for Olympic glory but was denied due to age restrictions.

Despite Manny Pacquiao’s aim at competing in the upcoming Paris Olympics on behalf of the Philippines, the International Olympic Committee has denied his request for an age exemption and won’t raise the age limit for participation, as reported by ESPN. Pacquiao, 45, has been retired from professional fighting since 2021 while the age limit for boxers in the Olympics is set at 40.

It was uncertain whether or not Pacquaio had intended to qualify for the Olympic games by competing in one of the upcoming qualifying tournaments, but the IOC made clear that Pacquiao’s age aside, the Philippines are not eligible for the “universality” entry method where some countries receive free entries because they have few athletes competing in the Olympics and typically have difficulty qualifying on merit.

“Universality places are not allocated to [teams] with an average of more than eight athletes in individual sports/disciplines at the last two editions of the Olympic Games,” the IOC said. “This is the case for the Philippine Olympic Committee.”

I suspect there won’t be much uproar over this ruling because while it prevents Pacquiao from taking part in the games, his level of elite professional experience in boxing is so far beyond all other contestants it would seem almost unfair — even if that wasn’t the basis for his rejection.