‘Abangan Ninyo Ako,’ — Petecio

‘Abangan ninyo ako.”

Nesthy Petecio never promised a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Still, against all odds, she committed herself to match even to surpass the silver medal she won in the Tokyo Games four years ago.

“After Tokyo Olympics, parang gusto ko na ring sumuko. Tapos may mga naramdaman pa along injury, itong latest sa kaliwang mata, kaya sabi ko sa sarili ko ito na yata ang best time na maging normal, yung hindi ka gigising ng madaling araw para mag-training, hindi na magpapapawis kahit gabi dahil kailangang mo ma-maintain yung timbang,” said Petecio.

“Pero sa bandang huli, lalo na nang maka-qualify uli ako para sa Olympics, napag-isip-isip ko na may dahilan siguo ang lahat. May gusto pa akong tuparin at yan ang makamit ko ang minimithing Olympic gold. Kahit mahirap ang pinagdaanan namin, kakayanin natin,” added Petecio during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Fotum on Tuesday at the PSC Conference Room inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

The 27-year-old Petecio and Carlos Paalam won silver medals in the 2020 Games, while pro fighter Eumir Marcial got the silver in what could be the biggest performance of the Philippine boxing team in the quadrennial Games.

The trio returned to continue the boxing quest for the Olympic gold. Like Petecio her fellow Olympic-bound fighters Aira Villegas and Hergie Bacyadan believed that winning medals in any colors in Paris would be very tough.

“Mahirap po talaga, pero pipilitin namin makakuha ng medalya,” said Villegas a firt-timer in the Games. “First time akong mag Olympics, pero halos lahat ng nasa weight category ko nakalaban ko na rin. And mga world champion din yung mga nandun, and ako baguhan pa lang naman.”

“Marami po akong pinagdaanang hirap at sakripisyo from muay thai to vovinam hanggang mag-focus na lang ako sa boxing. Mahirap pong mag-qualify dito kaya todo na sa laban,” added Bacyadan, another neophyte in the Olympics.

Officials and the coaching staff of the Philippine Team comprised of Asian Games gold winner Reynaldo Galido, Asian Games bronze winner Ronald Chavez, and foreign coach Don Abnett, refused to guarantee winning the sport’s first-ever Olympic gold in Paris, but assured it is sending the best unit capable of matching, if not surpassing, the gains it made during the Tokyo Olympiad four years ago.

“Itong five na nag-qualify, we feel has an excellent chance to podium and to go all the way,” said ABAP secretary-general Marcus Jarwin Manalo.“We’re optimistic that this is a strong five we’re bringing (to Paris ).”

PSC Chairman Richard Bachmann briefly joined the boxing team, wishing them well in their Olympic campaign.

“It’s great to have these three medalists from the last Olympics join this team. And as far as the preparations and competitions they’ve joined this year, their performances have been great,” Abnett said.

“Itong dala naming lima, pinaka-malakas ito na team. Hindi ako magbabanggit ng medalya kung anumang kulay siya. Basta itong lima, siguradong magde-deliver,” said Chavez, who represented the country during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

The boxing team will leave with the rest of the Philippine delegation on June 22 for their month-long training in Metz, France.

However, the boxers won’t stay that long in the French city as they leave for Germany on August 1 for a multi-nation training camp with other boxers who also qualified for the Olympics.