The only time national boxer Irish Magno snared a gold medal was during an invitational tournament in Taiwan. That was eight years ago, and the wait for another golden performance has dragged on.
It is but fair for her to think that she could quench that thirst come the Olympics in Tokyo next year, where the law of averages favors her.
“In all those years with the national team, it’s always been a silver medal. How many [Southeast Asian] Games has it been where I won silver, two?” she asked with a chuckle during an episode of the Inquirer Sports’ “Home & Away” over the weekend.
“It has been always silver ever since that time [in Taiwan].” This could be her last shot, after all.
Magno knows she already has reached hallowed grounds by becoming the first lady boxer from the Philippines to make the main draw of the quadrennial Summer Games. But at 28 years old, the pug from Iloilo province is also well aware that Father Time is also catching up with her.
“I want to prove to myself that I’m not only for the qualifiers.
I want to snare a medal,” she said. “I’m already in this position, so I might as well [go for the gold]. I won’t let this chance slip.
“When would be my next try at this? Another four years?
How old would I be by then? I’m not sure if I’m still capable when that time comes,” she added.
Magno’s resolve remains sharp in spite of the uncertainties brought by the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, she has made arrangements with her former coaches in her hometown of Janiuay and devised a plan on how to continue her preparations for the Olympics.
“I don’t want to waste the opportunity I was given, so I’m going to push myself to get what I really want even if we’re not sure the Games would push through,” she added.
High-ranking Olympic officials have cast their doubtsabout mounting the Tokyo Summer Games should another postponement happen.
Thomas Bach, the International Olympic Committee’s head honcho, previously said that if the Games cannot be held next summer, they will not be held at all.
Yoshiro Mori, the head of the organizing committee and Japan’s former prime minister, said during an interview two weeks ago that Japan “could not” hold the Games should there be no improvement in the COVID-19 situation.
“I’m no longer entertaining negative thoughts,” said Magno, who officially punched her ticket to the Olympics in March.
“We won’t stop preparing either,” she said. “We are on theside of continuing our training,” added the soft-spoken athlete who has finally cleared quarantine protocols after her flight from Manila.
“I have nothing to lose anyway.”