THE quest for the elusive gold medal continues for back-to-back Olympic Games veteran boxer Nesthy Petecio.
“Sana po gold, gusto ko po makita ‘yung gintong medalya bago pa man tumigil sa pagiging atleta,” Petecio said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards dinner last Monday night at the Manila Hotel
She and national boxing teammate Aira Villegas, who was all dolled up and dressed to the nines, each received the President’s Award for bringing home a bronze medal apiece from the Paris Olympic Games last year.
After clinching a women’s featherweight silver medal in her Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2021, Petecio’s bid for a better finish was stymied in the French capital in the semifinals by Poland’s Julia Szeremeta, who outpointed the plucky Filipina fighter 4-1.
Szeremeta settled for the silver medal after taking a 0-5 beating from Taiwanese Lin Yu-ting in their battle for gold.
Turning 33 on April 11, the pride of Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur is confident she still has what it takes for a third crack at the Olympic mint in the Los Angeles Summer Games in 2028.
“Kayang-kaya pa,” said Petecio, her eyes sparkling and grinning from ear-to-ear, who came down to Manila after returning with the rest of the national boxing pool last Jan. 5 at their training camp in Baguio City.
Despite the early exit in Paris, Petecio said the Olympic stint was still memorable because she had his younger brother Norlan and girlfriend with her.
“Kung babalikan ko ‘yung Paris, dream come true po ‘yun dahil nakasama ko po ang kapatid kong si Norlan at companion ko. ‘Yung pangarap ko na makasama ang pamilya na mapanood ako sa isang major competition natupad,” she noted.
Petecio said she has every intention of doing the same thing, assuming she makes it to her third straight Olympics three years from now in Los Angeles, where she and her compatriots hope and pray will finally see the cherished gold medal around her neck.
