How they qualified for Paris: Marcial, Petecio, Villegas, Paalam, Bacyadan

IN the final installment of this seven-part “How they qualified for Paris” series, The Manila Times explains how boxers Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio, Aira Villegas, Carlo Paalam and Hergie Bacyadan punched their Paris Olympic tickets.

Before going to the specifics, this series reviewing how Paris Games-bound Filipino athletes keyed their entries opened with Joanie Delgaco (rowing), Samantha Catantan (fencing) and judoka Kiyomi Watanabe (judo) — the lone representatives of their respective national teams.

Golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina came second; swimmers Sanchez and Hatch third; weightlifters Vanessa Sarno, Elreen Ando and John Ceniza fourth; the athletics team of pole vaulter Ernest “EJ” Obiena, as well as hurdlers Lauren Hoffman and John Cabang, was fifth; and gymnasts Carlos Yulo, Aleah Finnegan, Levi Ruivivar and Emma Malabuyo sixth.

In this last round, the bell rings first for the first member of the boxing team in Tokyo Games bronze medalist Eumir Marcial.

The 28-year-old Marcial gained an outright Olympic berth by virtue of being a finalist in the 19th Asian Games last September.

Marcial could not get the gold, though, as he lost in the final of the men’s 80 kg class. Still, his final-round appearance was good enough to make his second straight Olympic qualification.

Next is the returning Olympian Petecio and the debuting Aira Villegas, who seized their Paris berths through the 1st World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Busto Arsizio, Italy early March.

A Tokyo Olympics silver medalist, Petecio, 32, made her Olympic return after earning a majority decision victory over Esra Yildiz of Turkey in the semifinals of the women’s 57 kg.

The top two or the finalists in Petecio’s division gained berths to the quadrennial showpiece.

On the other hand, Villegas, 28, defeated Zlatislava Chukanova of Bulgaria via unanimous decision in the women’s 50 kg quarterfinals to make the semis and her first Olympic qualification.

The top four in Villegas’ class advanced to the Games.

Finally, Paalam and Bacyadan had to catch their tickets at the final qualifier, which was the 2nd World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Bangkok, Thailand, last May.

Unable to get his Olympic ticket in the first qualification tournament in Italy, where he had to surrender in the round of 16 due to a shoulder injury, Paalam, also a silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, recovered and grabbed his slot in Bangkok.

There, Paalam, 26, advanced to the semifinals of the men’s 57 kg class, where the top three were rewarded with Olympic tickets. Paalam’s unanimous semifinal win over India’s Sachin Sachin secured his Paris entry as the top three in his class were rewarded with Olympic slots.

Bacyadan, 29, completed the national boxing delegation after her quarterfinal unanimous decision win over Venezuela’s Maryelis Yriza, making the semifinals of the women’s 75 kg class.

The top four in Bacyadan’s division clinched Olympic berths.

Niel Victor C. Masoy