KYLA SANCHEZ SINERTIPIKAHAN NG IOC NA ISANG PINOY

MAAARI nang sumabak si swimmer Kayla Sanchez bilang isang Pinoy sa Paris 2024 Olympics, ayon kay Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.

“This is good news for Philippine swimming as Kayla and we won’t have to wait two more years for her to be able to represent our country in the Olympics,” pahayag ni Tolentino mula sa Canada kung saan binisita niya ang  Canadian Olympic Team headquarters sa Toronto.

Sumulat si Tolentino sa International Olympic Committee (IOC) noong nakaraang November 8 upang hilingin na i-waive ang three-year residency rule para sa mga atleta na nagpalit ng nationalities.

Si Sanchez— isang full-blooded Filipino  na ang ama ay nagmula sa  Mabalacat at ina ay taga-Baguio City— ay bahagi ng  silver medal-clinching women’s 4×100 meters women’s relay team ng Canada sa Tokyo 2020.

Itinuturing na isa sa  top swimmers ng Canada, nagpalit siya ng citizenship noong Hunyo ng nakaraang taon upang makalangoy para sa Pilipinas sa Hangzhou Asian Games noong nakaraang  September.

“The IOC Executive Board decided to consent to your request for exemption from the three-year waiting period and thus confirm the eligibility [from a nationality perspective] of Ms. Kayla Sanchez to represent the Philippines at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, subject to qualification,” sabi ng IOC kay Tolentino sa isang liham na may petsang November 29 at nilagdaan ni  Director of NOC Relations and Olympic Solidarity James MacLeod.

Nagpadala ang  IOC ng kopya ng liham sa World Aquatics at sa Canadian Olympic Committee.

Si Sanchez ay maaaring mag-qualify sa Paris sa pamamagitan ng individual qualification, relay qualification o ­universality.