MANILA, Philippines—Pole vaulter EJ Obiena and judoka Kiyomi Watanabe were chosen as the Philippines’ flag bearers for the opening parade of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
In a virtual press conference, Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said the two Olympians were informed of their roles beforehand and that they were chosen based on their schedules.
“All 19 athletes are qualified to be flag bearers but we based the selection on the flight availability, whoever is in Tokyo, and also the schedules of their games and practices,” said Tolentino.
Obiena will be arriving in Tokyo on July 23 while Watanabe is already in Japan.
Tolentino said that due …
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