Nesthy Petecio gets closer and closer to her goal of bagging her – and the country's – desired gold medal in the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
After a silver medal finish in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, there was hope Nesthy Petecio will follow it up with an even better showing in the 2023 Asian Games.
She could not live up to the immense expectations.
Petecio made a surprise exit in the Round of 16 after a loss to Lin Yu Ting of Chinse Taipei in the women’s boxing 57kg class at the Hangzhou Gymnasium.
The journey from that point to Paris did not come easy. But the 32-year-old Filipina soldiered on and trusted God’s plan for her career.
Turned out, the plan was to set her up for another medal at the Games almost a year later in Paris.
Petecio is now assured of at least a bronze following her unanimous decision win over China’s Xu Zichun on Sunday, August 4, that sent her to the semifinals in the women’s boxing 57kg class in the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
“Naniniwala kasi ako na 'pag 'yung gustung-gusto mong makuha, hindi binigay ni Lord, may mas magandang purpose po Siya,” Petecio said shortly after the match at the North Paris Arena.
"Ito na 'yun. Ito 'yung pinakamagandang purpose po ni Lord.”
And she will seek to go further as she aims for no less than the gold.
The journey resumes on Wednesday, Aug. 8, (Philippine time) in the semifinals.
Petecio will face Poland’s Julia Szeremeta while Ting, who eliminated her in the Asian Games, is in the other pairing as she tangles against Turkey’s Esra Yildiz Kahraman.
“Walang hinto hangga’t walang ginto. So dalawa na lang. So hopefully makuha na natin this time,” she said.
(With reports from Carlo Pamintuan/Cignal TV)