NESTHY PETECIO and Carlo Paalam will be in the forefront as flag-bearers of a 16-member Philippine representation in the never-done-before opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics on Friday.

“We’ll be a proud and hopeful 16-strong Team Philippines in the opening ceremony,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino from Paris who won’t be joining the parade of countries and will be sitting in the Olympic Family section on a bank along the Seine River.

Joining the two boxing silver medalists at Tokyo 2020 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).

Tolentino said that boxer Eumir Felix Marcial, gymnast Carlos Yulo and rower Joanie Delgaco will open their campaign on Saturday and won’t be joining the parade as well as pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena, who wanted to focus more in his pre-games preps in Normandy.

The three weightlifters— Vanessa Sarno, John Febuar Cenizaand 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 have 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 and got to meet former multiple pro boxing champion Gennadiy Gennadyevich Golovkin, or Triple G, who’s part of the Kazakhstan boxing team.

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

The Paris Games organizers describe the opening ceremony as “bold, original and unique” that for the first time in Olympichistory, the opening cwill not take place in a stadium but on the Seine River.

The organizers said that parade of athletes will cover 6 kms 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.