Pacquiao mulls fighting for PHL in Olympics 'kahit walang bayad'

Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said he is studying the proposal of representing the Philippines in Olympic boxing later this year amid a move by the sport's international governing body to allow seasoned professional in the competition.

Pacquiao said he has spoken to AIBA president Ching-Kuo Wu, who has been pushing to have professionals fight in the Olympics.

"OK naman. Pinag-aaralan pa kung pwede tayo," Pacquiao told GMA News' Mav Gonzales on Tuesday.

Pacquiao said he was willing to don Philippine colors for free.

"Kahit walang bayad. Para naman sa karangalan ito ng bansa," he added.

Boxing's governing body will vote within three months on proposals that would allow all professional fighters to compete in the Olympic Games, including in Rio, Wu earlier told AFP.

The measures, which would effectively eliminate the sport's historic distinction between professionals and amateurs, will be put to a vote at an extraordinary congress of AIBA confederations. 

Proposed changes to AIBA statutes "that would leave (Olympic) eligibility in the hands of the national federations" will be voted on at congress to be held "most likely on the 30th or 31st of May", Wu said.

Qualifying for the 2016 summer games in Rio de Janeiro is already under way, but Wu noted that there were still opportunities for professionals to qualify.

He voiced confidence that boxing confederations, which have been widely consulted on the proposed statute changes, would approve the measures.

"It is absolutely the right thing to do, to increase the opportunity for pro-boxers" who meet national qualification guidelines to compete at the Olympics, said Wu. —GMA News with a report from Agence France-Presse