The eight-division boxing world champion had toyed with the idea of pursuing the first Olympic gold medal by an athlete in the history of the Philippines. But according to the head of amateur boxing in the Philippines, Pacquiao has decided not to go forward.
He was elected to a seat in the Filipino Senate earlier this month and is focusing his energies on preparing for that.
Ring's Ryan Songalia broke the news. Songalia received a text message from Ed Picson, the executive director of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP), saying that Pacquiao had opted to "prioritize his legislative duties."
AIBA, the body that governs amateur boxing, opted this year to allow professionals to compete, but it does not appear any major names will pursue it.
Earlier this week, Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach told Yahoo Sports he felt it unlikely. It would have been a safety issue, as well, pitting a very experienced boxer against a young, inexperienced one.
“I know he’s very interested in trying to win a gold medal for his country, but I don’t know if it’s realistic,” Roach told Yahoo Sports. “I’m not sure. In boxing, in one-on-one sports, this would be like men versus kids. You can do the [pros in the Olympics] in team sports, but it would be too overwhelming, I think in a sport like boxing.”
Earlier this month, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson blasted the idea as "ridiculous."
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