TEAM Philippines is willing to fly early to Tokyo for the 2020 Summer Games, to meet quarantine and health check requirements amidt the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

The Olympic-bound athletes plan to head to the Games at least two weeks earlier than expected.

“There’s no official cancellation nor official postponement (of the Olympics), so we’re preparing as if it will go on as planned,” said Nonong Araneta, the country’s Chef de Mission to the Tokyo Olympics.

The Summer Games is scheduled on July 24 to Aug. 9, 2020.

There are currently 64 athletes coming from archery, athletics, swimming, basketball, boxing, cycling, canoe-kayak, fencing, golf, gymnastics, judo, karate, rowing, skateboarding, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, weightlifting and wrestling who are aiming to qualify for the Summer Games.

Of these 64, 18 athletes have a higher than average chance of booking a ticket to the largest quadrennial games this year, according to Araneta.

So far, EJ Obiena for pole vaulting, Carlos Yulo for gymnastics, and Eumir Marcial for boxing have qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. (RSC)