The Paris Olympics will be one big party for Team Philippines.
The Filipinos will celebrate the centennial anniversary of their Olympic participation by sending their biggest delegation in more than three decades when the Summer Games start sailing at the Seine River in Paris on 26 July.
Aside from the 15 qualifiers, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) expects a few more from golf, athletics, and swimming entering the final stretch of the qualifying windows of various international federations.
In golf, Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina are already in.
Pagdanganan, a gold medalist in the 18th Asian Games in 2018 who also saw action in the Tokyo Olympics, is already a cinch to compete in the women’s golf event as she is at No. 35 in the Olympic ranking heading into the final week of the two-year qualifying window on 24 June.
She will be joined by fellow Ladies Professional Golf Association campaigner Dottie Ardina, who is at No. 55 — five notches above the 60-player cut-off.
The Filipinos also have good chances to send multiple entries in athletics.
Although Ernest John Obiena already qualified following a strong performance in the Wanda Diamond League’s Bauhaus Galan meet last year, the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association is expecting hurdlers John Cabang and Lauren Hoffman as well as sprinter Kristina Knott to make it.
Right now, Cabang is at No. 28 in the men’s 110-meter hurdles while Hoffman is at No. 34 in the women’s 400-meter hurdles. Only the top 40 in both events will earn tickets to Paris entering the final stretch of the qualifying window.
“They just have to compete in a tournament or two before the window closes to formalize their entries to the Olympics,” Patafa president Terry Capistrano said.
“The list of those who will qualify will be released by World Athletics a week after the window officially closes.”
Not to be outdone, Knott also has a fighting chance.
The Filipino-American sprinter, who holds the national record in the women’s 100-meter run, is also inside the projected Olympic cut-off as she is at 44th out of the 48 potential Olympic entries.
Aside from golf and athletics, a judoka in Kiyomi Watanabe is also expected to make it.
Philippine Judo Federation chief Dave Carter told Daily Tribune that Watanabe already made the continental quota. Her inclusion in the Olympics, however, will be announced by the International Judo Federation after the closing of the qualifying window on 25 June.
“She’s in, 100 percent,” said Carter, referring to Watanabe, who also saw action in the Tokyo Olympics.
“She is already in based on the continental quota. However, her inclusion will only be made official once all qualifying events are already done on 25 June.”
Meanwhile, the POC is also expected to include two swimmers — a male and a female — in the Olympic delegation via universality place.
The Philippine Aquatics Inc. has yet to name its entries but their spots are already secured as the universality place — or popularly known as wildcard slot — is given to countries who have no representatives in centerpiece sports swimming and athletics.
Sideliners believe that there could be other surprise entries from other sports like skateboarding and men’s basketball depending on how lucky their athletes would get on and off the court.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas will be deploying Gilas Pilipinas, the reigning Asian Games champion, in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament from 2 to 7 July in Latvia while skateboarding Jericho “Kiko” Francisco is also making one last push as he competes in the Olympic Qualifiers series in Hungary starting this Friday.
Still, with the expected entries of two golfers, three tracksters, two swimmers, and one judoka, the POC is on its way to send a total of 23 athletes, which is within the initial projection of POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.
Already sure to see action in Paris are Obiena; Carlo Paalam, Eumir Marcial, Aira Villegas, Nesthy Petecio and Hergie Bacyadan of boxing; Samantha Catantan of fencing; Carlos Yulo, Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo, and Levi Ruivivar of gymnastics; Joanie Delgaco of rowing; and John Ceniza, Elreen Ando and Vanessa Sarno of weightlifting.
With that, it could be the biggest Olympic delegation of Team Philippines in the past 32 years after it sent only 19 in Tokyo in 2020, 13 in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, 11 in London in 2012, 15 in Beijing in 2008, 16 in Athens in 2004, 20 in Melbourne in 2000, and 12 in Atlanta in 1996.