A letter has been sent to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to see if the only eight weight division world champion in the history of the sport would be able to compete.

Pacquiao faces stumbling blocks, however, as the maximum age limit for Olympic boxers is 40.

If given an exemption, he would need to book his Paris spot through one of two qualification tournaments which are taking place next year in Italy and Thailand.

Another route for Pacquiao could be receiving a universality place from the IOC which are normally reserved for countries whose boxers struggle to qualify.

Four spots are available in the Paris 2024 men's event in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight divisions.

Pacquiao, one of the greatest pound-for-pound boxers of all time, said he would not be too old to compete.

"I am grateful to the Philippine Olympic Committee, under the leadership of Abraham Tolentino, for making a recommendation to the IOC to process my eligibility to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games," he said.

"I believe it is not too late to fulfil my dream of bringing home a boxing gold medal from the Olympics for the Philippines."

The POC has reportedly suggested that allowing Pacquiao would be a "shot in the arm" for Olympic boxing.

"He's physically fit, better than other athletes," Tolentino said.

Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines secretary general Marcus Manalo added to CNN: "I don't know if there will be exemption for this, but perhaps we can challenge the reasoning behind 40, because he could be more conditioned than, you know, boxers younger than his age."

Pacquiao has never competed at the Olympics but was the Filipino flagbearer at the Beijing 2008 Opening Ceremony after an unusual move which saw an athlete who was not in the team selected for the role.

He has won professional world titles at flyweight, super bantamweight, featherweight, super featherweight, lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight and light middleweight.

The southpaw has a record of 62 wins and eight defeats and last boxed in 2021 when he lost to Yordenis Ugás in a bout for the World Boxing Association's super welterweight title.

Pacquiao has entered politics and ran in the 2022 Philippine Presidential election, winning the third highest number of votes.

He had previously been a senator of the Philippines and a member of the House of Representatives.