From “The Match of Legends” to the Olympics, here’s what 2024 is going to look like for a Filipino sports fan.
If in 2023, you felt that the major sports events were coming one after the other — the Women’s World Cup, the FIBA World Cup, the SEA Games, the Asian Games — that’s because the year was truly one of the most packed for Filipino sports fans. 2024 won’t be quite as busy, but there are a lot of major competitions that you should be watching out for.
Here are some of the highly-anticipated sports events in 2024 you shouldn’t miss.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Buakaw Banchamek
The 2024 sports scene will kick off with a bang, especially for Filipino fans.
In what people are already calling “The Match of Legends“, two fighting icons will take the ring in a highly-anticipated exhibition match — the legendary eight-division World Champion Manny Pacquiao and the ‘God of Muay Thai’ Buakaw Banchamek. Though the two are known for different disciplines, this match will follow international boxing rules and feature six rounds of fighting, and Manny Pacquiao has promised to put on a show for the fans.
“This is going to be an amazing fight,” Pacquiao wrote on his Instagram, promoting the fight.
Having just turned 45, the eight-division champ will be facing 41-year-old kickboxing and Muay Thai fighter who has a record of 240 wins. Will we see a knockout? We don’t need to wait too long to find out, as this fight is set to take place in January 2024.
Basketball Olympic Qualifiers
2023 was a year that was full of basketball hype and Gilas hype thanks to the SEA Games and Asian Games gold medals, as well as the FIBA World Cup. But 2024 represents an opportunity for Gilas Pilipinas to take this even higher, as Filipino sports fans will be rallying behind them in the upcoming Olympic qualifiers.
The Philippines still has a chance to earn a slot in the Olympic men’s basketball tournament and end the country’s 52-year drought. From July 2 to 7, Gilas Pilipinas will be competing in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Latvia, where they will face the hosts, Latvia, and Georgia as part of Group A.
It’s going to be a huge task, which is why Filipino sports fans should definitely tune into this tournament in 2024.
2024 Grand Slams
2023 was a year of growth for Filipina tennis star Alex Eala. Though she started the year in a rocky place, she managed to pick her season up with two ITF singles titles and two bronze medals in the recent Asian Games. She’s competed a lot throughout the year, and in 2024, she’s ready to aim even higher.
At the end of the year, Alex Eala revealed her goals for 2024. She shared that she is currently preparing for the qualifying tournament for the Australian Open, which starts early in January. This is her main focus at the moment, but she is hoping that in 2024, she can make it to all four Grand Slams. This includes the Australian Open, Wimbledon, Roland Garros, and the US Open.
Qualifying for the world’s top tennis competitions will not be easy, but the 18-year-old is ready for the challenge and is eager to prove herself on these big stages.
FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
The FIFA World Cup qualifiers already kicked off in 2023, when the Philippines opened their campaign with a 0-2 loss to Vietnam and a 1-1 draw with Indonesia, both in Rizal Memorial Stadium. The fans, players, and coaching staff were both disappointed with the results and proud of the Azkals at the same time. But these results simply mean that 2024 is an even more important year for the Philippine team.
The Azkals will have four important matches in 2024 that Filipinos should keep up with. In March, they will face Iraq twice, and in June, they will again face both Vietnam and Indonesia.
Currently standing third in their group (and given that only the top two teams will advance to the next stage of the tournament), a lot is riding on the Azkals’ performances in 2024. Will they be able to get far into the tournament?
Olympics
Of course, 2024’s main event is going to be the Paris Olympics, which Filipino sports fans are already eagerly anticipating.
In 2023, four athletes already qualified to compete in the Olympics for their respective events — EJ Obiena for the men’s pole vault, Carlos Yulo and Aleah Finnegan for gymnastics, and Eumir Marcial for boxing. 2024 will bring more opportunities for more Filipinos to add their names to the list; among them are Hidilyn Diaz and the Gilas Pilipinas men.
This means that Filipinos shouldn’t just watch out for the Olympics, but in the lead-up to the competition taking place from July 26 to August 11, 2024, they should also be watching out for the athletes who are fighting for their chance to represent the country.
It’s every athlete’s dream to compete in the Olympics. In 2024, don’t miss your chance to watch the country’s proud talents make these dreams come true.
Which 2024 sports events are you looking forward to?
Banner image from Pixabay.
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