TOKYO. – Nesthy Petecio goes for the gold medal, and a share of Philippine sports immortality with weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, when she battles Japanese Sena Irie Tuesday for the women’s featherweight plum of the Tokyo Olympics at the Kokugikan Arena here.
A victory by Petecio will mean an unprecedented performance by the Philippines, which will have at least two gold medals in the games after Diaz’s historic golden medal breakthrough in the women’s 55kgs of weightlifting two Mondays ago.
Petecio, 29, is up against a younger Irie, who at 20 will not be having the usual hometown advantage in the fight set at 12:05 p.m. (Manila time). That’s because fans are barred from all competitions here.
Also out to grab a share of the spotlight at 10:15 a.m. (Manila time) is Carlo Paalam, who will clash with Olympic and world champion Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan in the men’s flyweight quarterfinals, hoping to land the country’s third boxing medal and the fourth overall here.
Eumir Felix Marcial, who assured himself of at least a bronze medal last Sunday, will face Oleksandr Khyzhniak of Ukraine in the men’s middleweight semis on August 5 at 2:03 p.m.
“This means a lot to me, it’s my dream and this as important is my father’s dream,” said Petecio, whose father, Teodoro, toils a small piece of land in Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur.
“A victory will not only be for me but for my family, and to Filipinos who pray for me,” added Petecio, whose mother, Prescilla, tends to the family.
Petecio has put together close to convincing victories in the games here where the boxing competitions are being supervised by a special International Olympic Committee body and not the controversy-marred International Boxing Association AIBA.
She completed a rousing Olympic debut by overwhelming Congo’s Marcelat Sakobi Matshu5-0.
Petecio then ousted the biggest obstacle in her weight category, using cunning speed and talent to beat Olympic top seed and world No. 1 Lin Yu-Tingby a close score of 3-2. At 5-foot-2, Petecio used her quickness to topple the 5-foot-8 Taiwanese.
In her third fight, Colombian Yeni Marcela Arias Castaneda found the Filipino one tough nut to crack, giving Petecio a ticket to the medal round where another taller opponent waited for her.
Last Saturday, Petecio again had to contend with a foe six inches taller. After giving away the first round to measure her opponent, Petecio used her speed and relentless punching to beat Italy’s Irma Testa4-1 and advance to the gold medal round while assuring herself of a silver medal.
That victory marked the first time since Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco settled for a silver medal also in boxing at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics.
