Filipino Olympians set to arrive in Tokyo

MANILA, Philippines – The bulk of the 19-strong Philippine team seeing action in next week’s Tokyo Olympics is scheduled to arrive in the Japanese capital this weekend, ushering in the country’s ambitious quest to capture its first gold medal in the quadrennial event.

Rower Cris Nievarez and boxers Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio, Irish Magno and Carlo Paalam will be the first Filipino athletes to enter Tokyo, which will host the Summer Games set July 23 to August 8, as they are expected to plane in Saturday in separate flights.

Nievarez will fly from Manila, Petecio, Magno and Paalam from Thailand where they have trained for since early this year, and Marcial, who recently replaced pole-vaulter EJ Obiena as the country’s male flag-bearer, will take connecting flights in Colorado Springs, Denver and Los Angeles to get to Tokyo.

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham Tolentino wishes them luck and safety.

And more are coming in tomorrow, including lifters Hidilyn Diaz and Elreen Ando, jin Kurt Barbosa, shooter Jayson Valdez and swimmers Luke Gebbie and Remedy Rule.

Diaz — who is eyeing to replicate if not surpass her silver medal effort in the 2016 Rio Games — will plane in from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where she has been preparing since March of last year; Ando, Barbosa and Valdez from Manila; Gebbie from Melbourne, Australia; and Rule from Texas.

“All the best for them and stay safe always, see you all,” Tolentino yesterday told The STAR.

Obiena, for his part, will fly in on the morning of opening day from Formia, Italy, while golfer Juvic Pagunsan the next day.

Skateboarder Margie Didal is schedule to arrive before the street event on July 26 from Los Angeles along with golfers Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan, who will plunge into action from August 4-7.

Gymnast Caloy Yalo and judoka Kiyomi Watanabe are already in Japan, where they have trained for years.

Philippine Tokyo Games chef-de-mission Nonong Araneta along with the national team secretariat and medical team have been in Tokyo since Tuesday.