Great news for Philippine boxing! On Wednesday, it was announced that boxing will be part of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This made Filipino boxers, coaches, and fans really excited because they still dream of winning the country’s first LA Olympics gold medal in boxing. This decision gives them more hope and motivation to train harder and aim for victory!
Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Carlo Paalam expressed his happiness upon hearing the announcement.
"I am happy with the news because many athletes from all over the world will be given an opportunity once again," he said in Filipino.
For Paalam, not winning a medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics was tough especially after his close and somewhat unfair loss to Australian boxer Charlie Senior in the quarterfinals. This choice he’s making now is both exciting and difficult as it pushes him to keep going while also testing his strength and determination.
"Personally, this is a huge challenge because many talented athletes from each country will emerge. Let's continue dreaming to get a gold medal," Paalam added.
National boxing coach Roel Velasco, a bronze medalist in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, also shared his excitement.
"We're all so happy here, and our boxers are even more motivated now that boxing is part of the LA 2028 Olympic program. Our target is to win that coveted gold medal for the Philippine boxing team," Velasco said.
The Philippines hasn't won a gold medal in Olympic boxing yet but the country has many great boxers who have won medals. Since 1932, Filipino boxers have earned four silver medals and six bronze medals.
The first Olympic boxing medal for the Philippines was in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics when Jose Villanueva won a bronze in the 53.5-kg division. Many years later, his son, Anthony Villanueva made history by winning a silver medal in the 57-kg division at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
The Philippines had to wait a long time before winning another Olympic boxing medal. In 1988, Leopoldo Serantes won a bronze medal in the 48-kg category at the Seoul Olympics.
In the 1990s, two brothers, Roel and Mansueto "Onyok" Velasco, became famous in boxing. Roel won a bronze medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in the 48-kg division. Then, in 1996, Onyok Velasco almost won the country’s first boxing gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics. He reached the finals but lost to Daniel Petrov from Bulgaria taking home the silver medal instead.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics was a great moment for Philippine boxing!
The success didn’t stop there! In the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Philippines continued to shine:
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided to keep boxing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which is great news for Filipino boxers! The sport will be managed by World Boxing, making sure that all competitions are fair and well-organized.
This is an important decision because it gives young boxers a chance to compete on the world stage. It also inspires more athletes to take boxing seriously, with the dream of winning a gold medal for the Philippines.
With this exciting news, Filipino boxers will start training hard for the next Olympics. They will join international competitions, follow strict training programs, and look for new talents who can bring home medals. The journey won’t be easy, but with hard work and dedication, the Philippines could see its next boxing champion in 2028!
Boxing is one of the most exciting sports in the Olympics because anything can happen! That’s why many people love watching and betting on it. As the Philippine boxing team gets ready for LA 2028, fans can cheer for their favorite fighters and even place bets on their matches using OKBet the most trusted sports betting site in the Philippines.
With OKBet, you can keep up with the latest boxing news, check match odds, and bet on your favorite boxers. Whether it’s the Olympics or other big boxing events, OKBet makes betting easy and fun.
Visit and start betting on the future of Philippine boxing today.
