Here is the Olympics Schedule today, July 31, 2021, for Team Philippines: Pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena begins his campaign, boxer Nesthy Petecio fights her semifinals match, boxer Carlo Paalam and golfer Juvic Pagunsan continue their next round matches in Tokyo, Japan. Schedules are in Philippine Standard Time.
EJ OBIENA (Pole Vault/Athletics)
Qualification Group A
8:40 a.m.
Ernest John “EJ” Obiena begins his bid for an Olympic medal today in the Men’s Pole Vault qualification round.
The top Asian pole vault champion has demonstrated that he is in peak condition for his Olympic debut in Tokyo by competing and winning against Olympic champions while resetting the Philippines’ national record twice, weeks ahead of the quadrennial meet.
In 2019, EJ cleared 5.81 meters in an outdoor pole-vaulting tournament in Italy to become the first Olympic qualifier of the Philippines to the 32nd Summer Olympic Games in Japan.
The Thomasian track and field athlete has been training in Italy in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and will now compete in the quadrennial Games against the world’s best pole vaulters.
NESTHY PETECIO (Boxing)
Women’s Featherweight 54-57 kg.
Semifinal 1
12:39 p.m.
Nesthy Petecio is poised to give the Filipino nation its second medal – at least a bronze – in the 2020 Summer Games when she fights Italy’s champion, Irma Testa at 12:39 p.m.
Nesthy Petecio is assured of a podium finish at the Tokyo Olympics after winning her bout by unanimous decision against Yeni Marcela Arias Castaneda of Colombia in the Women’s Featherweight quarterfinals match on July 28.
Petecio earlier surprised No. 1 seed Lin Yu-Ting of Chinese Taipei with a split decision win in their Round of 16 bout to advance to the quarterfinals.
Her first win at the Olympics was also via unanimous decision in the Round of 32 preliminaries match vs. Marcelat Sakobi Matshu of Congo held on Day 1 of the Summer Games in Japan.
The Filipina boxer has represented the Philippines in four editions of the SEA Games, winning a total of one gold and three silver medals. She won the featherweight division of the 2019 Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) Women’s World Boxing Championships.
CARLO PAALAM (Boxing)
Men’s Flyweight 48-52 kg.
Preliminaries Round of 16
10:48 a.m.
Carlo Paalam is back in the ring for his Round of 16 bout against Mohamed Flissi of Algeria.
Paalam advanced in the Preliminaries after winning his ring bout via split decision, 4-1, against Brendan Irvine of Ireland in the Men’s Flyweight 52kg division of Round of 32 on July 26.
Paalam won gold for the Philippines in the Korotkov Memorial Boxing Championships in Khabarovsk, Russia in 2018.
JUVIC PAGUNSAN (Golf)
Men’s Individual Stroke
Round 3
6:30 a.m.
Juvic Pagunsan plays the Men’s Individual Stroke Round 3 at 6:30 a.m. today.
Pagunsan started his campaign strong in Round 1 at the Kasumigaseki Country Club, tied at 5th place with 5-under par 66. Today he looks to pick up his performance after going down to tie at 24th place in Round 2.
The Filipino champion golfer secured a spot in the quadrennial meet in Japan by finishing 49th in the global ranking for male golfers.
Pagunsan brought home three golds and a bronze medal for the Philippines at the SEA Games in 2001 and 2005. He most recently won his maiden Japan Golf Tour title in the 2021 Mizuno Open after playing for ten years in the league.
The country’s lone male representative in golf joins the Tokyo-bound national contingent with the youngest U.S. Women’s Open winner Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan.
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