High Olympic hopes for PH bets in 8 sports

Athletes from eight sports have  a chance of qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Aside from boxing and taekwondo, Olympics chef de mission Joey Romasanta Wednesday said he’s  confident that Olympic qualifiers would also come from BMX cycling, archery, shooting, weightlifting, swimming and athletics.

“Our athletes can make it through the qualifying tournaments either by earning ranking points or even by securing a universality place in the case of swimming,” said the first vice president of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

So far, only Filipino-American hurdler and double-gold Southeast Asian Games medalist Eric Cray has secured an Olympic slot after meeting the standard in the 400-meter hurdles.

Athletics chief Philip Ella Juico confirmed Cray’s feat after clocking 49.12 seconds in his pet event during the Cayman Invite on May 16 in Cayman Islands. The Olympic standard qualifying time for the 400 hurdles is 50 seconds flat.

Romasanta said hopes are high that Incheon Asian Games BMX champion Daniel Caluag, International Olympic Committee scholar Amparo Acuna of shooting, either Hidilyn Diaz or Nestor Colonia of weightlifting, and two from archery and taekwondo can pass the grade.

He’s also upbeat that as many as four Filipino boxers can earn slots with lightweight Charly Suarez, bantamweight Mario Fernandez, welterweight Eumir Felix Marcial and London Olympian Mark Anthony Barriga high on the list.

Only 11 Filipino athletes made it to the 2012 London Games after the Philippines sent 15 in 2008 Beijing.

Since the silver-medal performance of boxer Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco, the Philippines has yet to bring home an Olympic medal of any color.

Romasanta said he would attend the chef de mission meeting in Rio on Aug. 15 along with POC secretary general Steve Hontiveros.

Aside from the 17-year-old  Acuna, taekwondo jins Kristopher Robert Uy, Kirstie Elaine Alora, John Paul Lizardo and Christian dela Cruz were picked as IOC scholars under the IOC Solidarity Program.

Golfers Mia Legaspi and Princess Superal, boxing’s Irish Magno and Marcial, swimmer Jasmine Alkhaldi, Hermie Macaranas of canoeing and Hagen Topacio of shooting also belong to the elite group.

The IOC, the prime mover behind the Olympic Games, will provide subsidies covering the travel and board and lodging of these athletes for any Olympic qualifying events they choose to join.