Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam qualify for Tokyo Olympics

Two more Filipino boxers have qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam will join Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno in carrying the flag in the Olympics scheduled this July.

According to a release by the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) Friday, Petecio and Paalam qualified for the Tokyo games 'by virtue of their highest standing in their respective weight categories according to the Boxing Task Force rankings.'

Petecio, 2019 AIBA Women's World Boxing champion and Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) gold medalist, qualified for the women's featherweight event (57 kg). She is currently at the fifth spot of her category with 425 points.

Fellow SEAG gold medalist Paalam, meanwhile, qualified for the men's flyweight (52 kg), after placing 12th at his category with 215 points.

ABAP president Ricky Vargas rallied Filipinos to support the four boxers' bid for the Philippines' first Olympic gold.

“Let us all get together and focus on the challenges ahead not only of our boxers but all Filipino athletes. Now, more than ever, they need us to stand firmly behind them," said Vargas.

Marcial and Magno previously punched their tickets to the Olympics through the Asian-Oceanian Olympic Qualifiers in Amman, Jordan in March of last year.

—Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA News