MANILA: Hergie Bacyadan is the 15th Filipino Olympian and fifth boxer going to the Paris Games after hurdling her quarterfinal bout in the 2nd World Boxing Olympic Qualification held in Bangkok, Thailand on Sunday.

She beat Venezuela’s Maryelis Yriza in the women’s 75 kg on Sunday via unanimous decision.

The qualification of the Kalinga native came less than 24 hours after Carlo Paalam booked his return trip to the quadrennial summer Games in the same Bangkok tournament.

Bacyadan, 28, is a world vovinam champion, winning the women’s combat 66 kg division of the Vietnamese martial arts in Ho Chi Minh City in November 2023.

She first made the Philippine wushu team in 2016, shifted to boxing, returned to martial arts, and grabbed the opportunity to box again in order to achieve her Olympic dream.

Bacyadan and Paalam will join 13 other Filipinos in Paris, including fellow boxers and Tokyo batchmates Eumir Felix Marcial and Nesthy Petecio, along with first-timer Aira Villegas; gymnasts Carlos Yulo, Aleah Finn
egan, LeVi Jung-Ruivivar and Emma Malabuyo; world No. 2 pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena; weightlifters Vanessa Sarno, Erleen Ann Ando and John Febuar Ceniza; rower Joanie Delgaco; and fencer Sam Catantan.

There are 13 Olympic boxing weight categories — six for women and seven for men — in the Paris competition.

There were 28 men and 21 women who made it during the first qualifier in Italy in March. A further 23 female and 28 male Olympic spots are available in Bangkok.

Source: Philippines News Agency