(Eagle News) – Filipina boxer Nesthy Petecio bagged the silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics after the final bout of the women’s featherweight division.
She faced Japan’s Sena Irie who won the gold after being declared the winner after three rounds via unanimous decision.
Sena beat Petecio for the third time in their four boxing matches since 2019.
Petecio’s silver is the second medal that Filipino athletes bagged in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, after weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz’s gold on July 26.
Two other Filipino boxers, Carlos Paalam and Eumir Marcial are also assured of at least a bronze medal, but are still in the running for a gold if they win in their succeeding matches.
Paalam earlier today beat Uzbekistan’s Shakhobidin Zoirov who won the gold medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics in the flyweight division. This was a stunning upset for Zoirov who is the defending Olympic champion.
Paalam will next face Japan’s Ryomei Tanaka in the semi-finals, on Aug. 5.
On Sunday, Aug. 1, Marcial knocked out Armenia’s Arman Darchinyan in the first round of the men’s middleweight quarterfinals, also assured of a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics. The 25-year old Marcial, who is also a member of the Philippine Air Force (PAF), will next fight Ukrainian world champion Oleksandr Khyzhniak on Aug. 5. A win would make him closer to his gold medal target.
(Eagle News Service)
