Nesthy Petecio eyes ‘last shot’ at elusive boxing gold

Filipina boxer Nesthy Petecio bared that she is determined to end the Philippines’ century-long quest for an elusive Olympic boxing gold.

It was a change of heart for the two-time Olympic medalist after insinuating at the 2024 Paris Games being her final curtain call of competing in the quadrennial showpiece.

Despite once again missing out on the top prize, Petecio expressed her desire to give it a try again as the Olympic fire still ignites within her.

“When I was on the podium and the flags were being raised, I looked at our flag and I told myself that I want to put it in the middle. When I looked at the flag of Taipei, I thought about our flag being in the same place,” said Petecio in Filipino during Adidas’ athletes homecoming event.

“I asked the Lord, ‘Is this a sign that I need to compete once more?’ I said I will give it a try. A last shot. The fire is still there,” she added.

Petecio saw an end of her golden campaign after a 4-1 split decision loss to Julia Szeremeta of Poland in the semifinals, bringing home a bronze medal. 

But before Petecio could initiate her golden bid at the Olympics, boxing first needs to be included in the calendar of sports for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

The sport is at the brink of being dropped out of the next edition as the International Olympic Committee set a 2025 deadline to look for a new international boxing body after it withdrew its recognition of the International Boxing Association. 

World Boxing, of which the Association Boxing Alliances in the Philippines is a member, aims to get recognized by the IOC in an attempt to keep boxing as an Olympic sport.