Manila, Philippines, March 27, 2020: Tokyo-bound boxer Irish Magno of the Philippines sees a silver lining in the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games to next year.
Magno, 28, qualified for the Olympics through the Asia-Oceania boxing qualification tournament held in Amman, Jordan from March 3-11 and was all set for her Olympic Games debut.
This has been put on hold due to the postponement of Tokyo 2020 to not later than summer 2021.
“It’s very sad because the whole team really prepared for it, especially the ones who have qualified,” she told ABS-CBN News.
Magno understands the reason for the postponement, and sees a positive side to it as well – an extra year to train and target a medal.
“It’s okay because they will have more time to prepare now that the Tokyo Olympics have been postponed. The priority at this moment is the safety and health of every athlete,” she added.
Magno, along with the rest of the Philippine boxing team, remain quarantined in Manila after competing in the qualifiers in Jordan.
She said she was concentrating on self-training and just keeping in contact with the coaches to maintain her focus until the quarantine had been lifted.
Magno is one of the four Philippine athletes assured of a ticket to the Tokyo Games, along with fellow boxer Eumir Marcial, pole-vaulter EJ Obiena and gymnast Carlos Yulo.