WAS it just sour-graping or was Nesty Petecio given a raw deal?
Petecio’s bid to improve on her silver medal finish in the Tokyo Games ended early yesterday morning (Wednesday night in France) when she absorbed a 1-4 loss in her semis battle against plucky Polish Olympic rookie Julia Szeremeta in the women’s featherweight semifinals of the Paris Olympics boxing tournament at the famed Roland Garros Indoor Stadium.
Although she clearly won the opening round, Petecio, lost the final two to the showboating Szeremeta, 20, who came from behind to earn the nod of four judges who scored it 29-28 while only one saw it in favor of the Pinay fighter 29-28.
In the post-match interview Petecio was particularly upset about the outcome of the third round.
“Sobrang labo, sobrang labo talaga pero ‘yun ang nakikita nila, so wala tayong magagawa. Pero grabe, wala siyang clear punch sa third round,” she noted. “‘Yung mga body shots, ‘yung mga hook ko pumapasok. Ewan ko, hindi ko alam ano’ng nangyari,” she said.
She also wondered why Argentine referee Manuel Villarino cautioned her several times during the bout, which somehow threw her timing off.
“Lagi akong naca-caution ng referee, hindi ko alam kung bakit. Hindi ko alam kung ano ‘yung nakikita kong side nila, pero nirerespeto ko ‘yun,” Petecio said.
Nonetheless, the Sta. Cruz Davao del Sur native emerged proud of what she had accomplished in Paris, winning the bronze and her second straight medal in two straight Olympics, counting the silver she won in the Japanese capital three years ago.
“Akala ko akin na ‘to this time. Sobrang grabe ‘yung tiwala ko sa sarili ko na makukuha ko siya pero medyo hindi tayo [pinalad] ngayong gabi sa panalo. Pero sobrang thankful pa rin ako kay Lord kasi maganda ‘yung pinakita ko,” she said.
No longer a spring chicken at 32, Petecio declined to say if she would be willing to go through another grueling four-year grind to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games and live up to her vow of “hindi hihinto hanggang walang ginto.”
Including the bronze won by teammate Aira Villegas in the women’s light flyweight division, Petecio’s accomplishment raised the country’s medal tally to two golds, courtesy of gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo, and two bronzes to highlight the centennial jubilee of the Philippine participation in the modern Olympics.
