President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. graces the 2024 Olympic Day: Paris Olympic Send-Off ceremony at Ayuntamiento de Manila, Intramuros in Manila on June 21, 2024. Niño Jesus Orbeta, PPA pool

Filipino boxers Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam will lead the way when Team Philippines marches in the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday.

"We'll be a proud and hopeful 16-strong Team Philippines in the opening ceremony," said Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino.

Tolentino will not be joining the parade of countries, and instead will be sitting in the Olympic Family section on a bank along the River Seine.

Joining Petecio and Paalam are their fellow boxers Aira Villegas and Hergie Bacyadan, hurdlers Lauren Hoffman and John Cabang Tolentino, swimmers Kayla Sanchez and Jarrod Hatch, gymnast Aleah Finnegan and fencer Samantha Catantan.

Chef de Mission Juanito Victor "Jonvic" Remulla and sports officials Michael Angelo Vargas (swimming), Marcus Manalo (boxing), Cynthia Carrion Norton (gymnastics), Patrick Gregorio (rowing) and Agapito "Terry" Capistrano (athletics) will also be on the boat assigned for the Philippines in the lavish ceremony that start at 7:30 p.m. (1:30 a.m. in Manila).

Boxer Eumir Felix Marcial, gymnast Carlos Yulo and rower Joanie Delgaco will open their campaign on Saturday and won’t be joining the parade, according to Tolentino. Meanwhile, pole vaulter EJ Obiena is still focused on his pre-game preparations in Normandy.

READ: Medal bets Yulo, Marcial open PH's campaign in Paris Games

The three weightlifters -- Vanessa Sarno, John Febuar Ceniza and Erleen Ann Ando -- have yet to conclude their training in Metz and are due at the Olympic Village on August 6, according to Tolentino.

"The schedule of our Olympian athletes has been meticulously crafted by their coaches so there won’t be hitches as they approach their competition days," said Tolentino, who made the rounds of the Athletes Village after arriving in Paris on Wednesday.

Completing the 22-athlete Team Philippines are gymnasts Emma Malabuyo and Levi Ruivivar, golfers Bianca Pagdangan and Dottie Ardina and judoka Kiyomi Watanabe.

The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics will be a historic affair, as for the first time it will not take place in a stadium but on the Seine.

The organizers said that the parade of athletes will cover 6 kilometers on the Seine with boats for each national delegation—the boats will be equipped with cameras to allow television and online viewers to see the athletes up close. 

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