IOC won’t change age limit to let Pacquiao box in Paris

The Worldwide Olympic Committee won’t change its guidelines on age limits to let boxing nice Manny Pacquiao compete on the Paris Video games.

Pacquiao, who infamously misplaced his WBO world welterweight title to Australian Jeff Horn in 2017, retired from the game in 2021.

Nonetheless, he mentioned he wished to field at age 45 within the Olympic match in Paris, the place medal bouts might be held within the Roland Garros tennis complicated.

The IOC mentioned on Sunday (Monday AEDT) that it wrote to Olympic officers within the Philippines explaining the age restrict for boxers of 40 might be upheld.

The IOC now oversees Olympic boxing after deciding to not recognise the Worldwide Boxing Affiliation governing physique.

In 2013 the age restrict for Olympic boxing was raised from 34 to 40 – a transfer that may have let Pacquiao attempt to compete on the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

He selected to not on the time, when he was additionally elected to be a senator in his residence nation.

It’s unclear if Pacquiao would have tried to earn a spot on the Paris Olympics in certainly one of two qualification tournaments that open this month in Italy and in Might in Thailand.

The Philippines Olympic physique had talked of making an attempt to get a so-called “universality” entry to the Paris Video games. These are successfully free passes given to international locations which have few athletes on the Olympics and sometimes wrestle to qualify on advantage.

Nonetheless, the IOC mentioned the Philippines had been too profitable to learn from the scheme.

“Universality locations will not be allotted to (groups) with a mean of greater than eight athletes in particular person sports activities/disciplines on the final two editions of the Olympic Video games,” the IOC mentioned.

“That is the case for the Philippine Olympic Committee.”

Pacquiao ended his storied profession in September 2021 at age 42 after 72 fights, successful 12 world titles at a report eight totally different weight divisions.

Probably the most talked-about fights of his profession got here in 2017 when he tried to defend his WBO world welterweight title towards Australian Jeff Horn.

The combat, dubbed the Battle of Brisbane, was fought in entrance of a crowd of greater than 51,000 at Suncorp Stadium.

Regardless of many pundits believing the Philippine boxer had finished greater than sufficient to retain the title, Horn was awarded the combat by unanimous choice, claiming his first world crown.

The Queenslander’s victory was massively well-liked all through Australia, with Horn being lauded across the nation.

Nonetheless, Pacquiao later claimed the Aussie acquired away with quite a few soiled techniques throughout the combat, utilizing unlawful blows together with elbows and headbutts.

Regardless of his claims, Pacquiao did his greatest to be diplomatic, saying: “I am skilled. I respect the judges.”