NESTHY Petecio vowed to nail the much coveted boxing Olympic gold for the Philippines.
On Tuesday, Petecio made her first significant stride towards her Olympic comeback by clinching a spot in the Paris 2024 games with a split-decision win over Esra Kahraman Yildiz of Turkey in the women’s featherweight 57-kg semifinals at the 1st World Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Burzio, Italy.
Petecio’s journey was far from easy, as she notched up five victories on her path to securing the Olympic quota in her weight category.
The Paris tickets were exclusively allocated to the two finalists in the first qualifying, making Petecio’s accomplishment even more commendable.
“I am so blessed. This is very important for me because maybe this is my last Olympics,” Petecio shared with Olympics.com. “I will not stop until I get the Olympic gold medal.”
Expressing gratitude for the support she received, Petecio dedicated her victory to her family, God, the late former ABAP President Ed Picson and her life partner.
Despite battling an eye problem earlier in the day, Petecio’s determination prevailed as she overcame the challenge and emerged victorious in the semifinal bout.
Before the tournament, Petecio, an Olympic silver medalist during the Tokyo games, made a promise to her partner that she would secure a ticket to Paris, and she joyfully fulfilled that commitment.
In a social media post, Petecio shared her heartfelt prayer, expressing her unwavering faith in the divine and her commitment to winning the fight.
“Sabi ko sa kanya (Lord) kahit i-open mo lang po ang aking mata hindi ko na ‘to bibitawan, mananalo ako sa laban. ‘Yan lang po panalangin ko sayo. Grabe ka Lord! Grabe ‘yung binigay na blessings mo sakin ngayon,” Petecio said her social media post.
Aira Cordero Villegas, another Filipina athlete, secured her Paris Olympics’ quota by achieving a unanimous decision victory over Genadieva Chukanova Zlatislava of Bulgaria in their 50kg quarterfinal bout. Four Olympics slots were available in their weight division.
While Petecio and Cordero Villegas celebrated their successes, other members of Team Philippines, including Tokyo silver medalist Carlo Paalam and Rio Olympian Rogen Ladon, will have another chance to qualify in the second and final World Qualifier in Bangkok, Thailand, scheduled in May.