Ni VT ROMANO
PINALITAN ni boxer Eumir Felix Marcial si Ernest John ‘EJ’ Obiena bilang male flag bearer ng Pilipinas para sa opening ceremony ng Tokyo Olympics sa Hulyo 23 sa National Stadium.
Ang isa pang flag bearer ay si judoka Kiyomi Watanabe.
Napili si Marcial bilang kapalit ni Obiena dahil flexible ang iskedyul nito. Darating ang boksingero sa Tokyo ngayong weekend.
“He [Marcial] has the most flexible schedule before and after the opening ceremony,” lahad ni POC Abraham Tolentino. “We have already informed Eumir about his task and we are very thankful to EJ for understanding. He cannot rebook his flight anymore.”
Umalis si Marcial Huwebes mula sa kanyang training camp sa Colorado Springs sa US at inaasahang lalapag sa Tokyo sa Sabado, o anim na araw bago ang opening ceremony.
Habang si Obiena ay manggagaling sa Italy at darating sa Japan ilang oras lang bago ang opening ceremony.
“Because of protocols, EJ should be expecting delays at the airport and that would make it impossible for him to catch the opening ceremony,” paliwanag ni Tolentino.
Sasalang si Marcial, na isa ring professional boxer, sa kanyang Olympic debut sa Hulyo 25 sa men’s middleweight round-of-32.
Si Watanabe naman ay mapapasabak sa women’s -63 kgs (judo) sa Hulyo 27.
Sa halip na mga kapwa atleta, makakasama nina Marcial at Watanabe sa opening parade sina chef de mission Mariano “Nonong” Araneta, Philippine Judo Federation President Dave Carter, boxing coach Nolito Velasco, skateboarding coach Daniel Velasco, Philippine Swimming Inc. president Lani Velasco at Gymnastics Association of the Philippines head Cynthia Carrion-Norton.
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