The Philippine boxing team will be going home with two bronze medals from the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) chairman Ricky Vargas thanked the five boxers who competed for the country in the Olympic Games Paris 2024, while vowing to aim for gold in Los Angeles 2028.
Only two of them, Aira Villegas and Nesthy Petecio, secured bronze medals.
"We came with five boxers and are going home with two Olympic bronze medals. Thank you all for your support. And to Hergie, Eumir, Carlo, Aira, and Nesthy, our gratitude. Your sacrifice and courage make us all better as a nation," Vargas said in a statement.
It was a step down from the two silver medals and one bronze that the Philippine boxing team hauled in Tokyo 2020.
Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist Eumir Marcial and Olympics debutant Hergie Bacyadan suffered exits right in the first match in Paris 2024.
Marcial was upset by Uzbekistan's Turabek Khabibullaev in the men's 80kg round of 16 via unanimous decision.
Bacyadan lost the same way against top-ranked China's Li Qian in the womens 75kg round of 16.
Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Carlo Paalam had a heartbreaker in the men's 57kg quarterfinals, losing to Australia's Charlie Senior via split decision. Filipino fans didn't agree with the results.
[ALSO READ: 'Ginawa ko 'yung best ko talaga' | Carlo Paalam expresses dismay, sends apologies after crushing Paris 2024 exit]
"Sorry to disappoint, no excuses. But we assure you, we all gave our best. Our flag still rises with the best, but we will not hear our anthem," Vargas added.
First timer Aira Villegas reached the women's 50kg semifinals, but lost to Turkiye's Buse Naz Cakiroglu via unanimous decision.
[ALSO READ: Bronze medalist Aira Villegas takes tough Olympic loss in stride: 'Ginawa ko yung best ko']
While Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Nesthy Petecio was outscored 4-1 against Poland's Julia Szeremeta in the women's 57kg semifinals. This would still make Nesthy a two-time Olympic medalist.
[ALSO READ: Nesthy Petecio proud of Paris 2024 campaign, but left questioning judges’ scores after close semis loss]
"Until 2028 in LA, the Olympic gold remains our goal," Vargas vowed.
Boxing though has yet to be added to Los Angeles 2028 though.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), who set up a unit to organize the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 boxing tournaments, called on national federations to unite under a new international federation for the next quadriennial event.
The International Boxing Association (IBA), which previously handled amateur boxing in the Olympics, was suspended and subsequently stripped of recognition by the IOC due to alleged corruption scandals.