NESTHY EYES MEDAL ROUND
TOkyo—nesthy Petecio returns to the boxing ring on Wednesday against Colombia’s Yeni Marcela Arias Castaneda in a women’s featherweight bout hoping to advance to the medal round at the Tokyo Olympics.
Petecio fights the Colombian at 10 a.m. (Manila time) at the Kokugikan Arena just two days after Hidilyn Diaz’s gold medal winning feat in weightlifting.
A victory by Petecio, world champion in 2019 in Russia, over the 2019 Pan American Games bronze medalist will send the Filipino to the semifinals where she is assured of a bronze medal.
“We will look at the videos of her [Castañeda] fights here,” Petecio’s Australian Coach Don Abnett said. “We know her next opponent will be tough, but we’re very confident.”
Petecio’s opponents in Tokyo are indeed tough.
On Monday, Petecio removed the biggest stumbling block in her road to glory by beating tournament top seed and world’s no. 1 in Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu-ting by fashioning out a 3-2 split decision victory.
Earlier, Petecio pulled off a dominant 5-0 mauling of Congo’s Marcelat Sakobi Matshu in her first bout.
“I want to win the gold medal for my country, but I know that I will have to work hard for it,” Petecio said after her win over Lin.
On Thursday, Eumir Felix Marcial, predicted by Association Press to win a gold medal, debuts against Younes Nemouchi of Algeria in a men’s middleweight fight at 10:48 a.m. (Manila time), while flyweight Irish Magno, fresh off her 5-0 demolition of Kenyan Christine Ongare, takes on Thailand’s Jutamas Jitpong next at 12:24 p.m. (Manila time).
Carlo Paalam, after posting a 4-1 win over Ireland’s Brendan Irvine, fights Algeria’s Mohamed Flissi on Saturday at 10:48 a.m. (Manila time).