POC pins Olympic hopes on 16 athletes

THE PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee has identified 16 Filipino athletes who could qualify to this year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Philippine Olympic Committee executive Romy Magat said Asian Games BMX champion Daniel Caluag headlines the cast of potential qualifiers that the local Olympic body is betting on.

Included in the POC wish list are Olympic qualifiers Filipino-American hurdler Eric Cray and weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz.

Magat, secretary general of the Philippine Tennis Association, is one of four cluster heads monitoring the progress of Filipino athletes hoping to qualify to Rio de Janeiro on June 5 to 21.

He said lifter Nelson Colonia, shooters Hagen Topacio, Amparo Acuna and Jason Valdez along with golfers Jennifer Rosales, Miguel Tabuena and Princess Superal were also included in the elite roster.

“We’ve been closely monitoring their progress. Hopefully, they all qualify,” said Magat, adding that other hopefuls are boxers Mark Barriga, Rogen Ladon, Eumir Felix Marcial and lady boxers Josie Gabuco, Nesty Petecio and Iris Magno.

Rounding up the list are taekwondo jins Pauline Lopez and Sam Morrison and judoka Kiyomi Watanabe.

“More or less, these are the athletes that we believe could make it,” said Magat.