Hopes are high that the Philippines will still improve on its current medal haul in the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham Tolentino said this a day before middleweight Eumir Marcial and flyweight Carlo Paalam plunges into action in the semifinals and shoot for the gold-medal rounds of their respective boxing matches at the Kokugikan Arena.
“Nalampasan na natin ang ating performance nu’ng 1932. Sana malampasan pa natin ulit,” said Tolentino in a Zoom huddle with scribes yesterday.
The Philippines is now assured of four medals following Hidilyn Diaz’s gold medal win in women’s weightlifting and Nesthy Petecio’s silver medal in women’s boxing.
Marcial and Paalam added to this by becoming sure bronze medal winners in the men’s middleweight and flyweight events, respectively.
In the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, the Philippines won its most number of medals with three, coming from swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso, high jumper Simeon Toribio and boxer Jose Villanueva.
Marcial could improve on the country’s finish if he hurdles Ukrainian Oleksandr Khyzhniak, and makes it to the finals. And so could Paalam when he faces Japanese Ryomei Tanaka.
Golfers Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan may also add to the country’s medal haul if they come up with podium finishes in the women’s division.
“We have four athletes competing. We will know by then when this is over, and I can have a better assessment,” added Tolentino.
