Paris doors open to kickboxing, muay, cheerdance

Opportunities to win medals in the 2024 Paris Olympics opened up for Team Philippines after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board granted full recognition to four sports where Filipino athletes have been thriving lately.

The IOC Executive Board in a recent session has opened its doors to kickboxing, muay thai, sambo and cheerleading.

“This will indeed give us more chances to win medals in the Olympics. It likewise provides us the added opportunity to showcase Filipinos as world-class athletes,’’ said Philippine Olympic Committee president and Cavite representative Abraham “Bambol’’ Tolentino.

Provisionally recognized prior to the COVID-19 global crisis, the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations, the International Federation of Muay thai Associations, the International Cheerleading Union and the International Sambo Federation fulfilled the requested criteria to become full-fledged members of the IOC family.

According to the IOC’s official website, Olympics.com, the statutes, practices and activities of these sports conform with the Olympic Charter, and have adopted and implemented the World Anti-Doping Code and the Olympic Movement Code on the prevention of manipulation of competitions.

The recognition of these sports, along with the international federations (IFs) of lacrosse and Icestocksport, is expected to be formalized when the IFs meet in an IOC session in Tokyo ahead of the Olympic Games scheduled July 23 to Aug. 8. INQ