POC sees 11 Filipinos cornering Rio berths

Philippines’ Hidilyn Diaz carries the flag during the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 27, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

THE PHILIPPINE delegation to the coming Rio de Janeiro Olympics will have a minimum of 11 athletes when the final deadline for qualification expires in July, according to the Philippine Olympic Committee.

The Filipinos are projected to see action in at least seven sports in the Summer Games scheduled Aug. 5 to 21.

Boxers Rogen Ladon and Charly Suarez, taekwondo-jin Kirstie Elaine Alora and table tennis hope Ian Lariba have officially made it to the Olympic roster along with long-jumper Marestella Torres, who booked an Olympic spot via the “Universality” principle of the International Olympic Committee.

Filipino-American hurdler Eric Cray and female weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz have both reached the qualifying standard but are still awaiting official confirmation from their sport’s respective international federations.

“We’re looking at 11 athletes in Rio,” said the country’s Olympic chef de mission Joey Romasanta. “That number matches the size of our team in (the) London (Olympics).”

Hopes are high that golfers Miguel Tabuena and Angelo Que could punch tickets to Rio de Janeiro, together with two swimmers through the quota places allocated by the International Swimming Federation (Fina).

Tabuena ranks 37th in the International Golf Federation rankings while Que is in 51st spot. Only the top 60 golfers by the July 11 cutoff date will advance to the Games.

“If we’re lucky, we can still have two from boxing and two more from athletics,” he said.

Filipino boxers are set to compete in the World Olympic Qualifier on June 7 to 19 in Baku, Azerbaijan, while sprinter Kayla Richardson and pole vaulter EJ Obiena continue to make progress in their bids.

BMX riders Daniel Caluag, and Asian Games winner, and Sienna Fines are racing in the ongoing UCI World Championships in Columbia where Olympic spots are at stake.