With semis secured, Aira Villegas hopes Olympic finals will follow: 'Pangarap ko mapatugtugan ng national anthem'

Aira Villegas may have secured at least a bronze medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics but for her, the fight is not over yet.

For her, the goal remains the same: a spot in the finals and for the national anthem to be played while she is on the podium.

"Happy po [ako] pero medyo ano pa po kasi, kailangan natin pumasok sa finals," Villegas told the Philippine Olympic Committee media, including GMA Integrated News' JP Soriano, after her win against France's Wassila Lkhadiri.  

"Kailangan ko subukan pumasok sa finals kasi 'yung pangarap ko: mapatugtugan ng national anthem."

Aside from it, Villegas will also be extra motivated coming into the semis as she will face Turkish boxer Buse Naz Cakiroglu.

The two faced off back in the 2022 World Boxing Championships where Cakiroglu was the hometown bet. 

Villegas lost to Cakiroglu in the quarterfinals then.

"Sa totoo lang, nung nakita ko bracket namin, ganun 'yung mindset ko, pag nakikita ko mga nakatalo sa'kin, inaano ko sarili ko, kailangan ko umabot sa dulo, kailangan ko mag-revenge," she said.

"Nakita ko, 'yung focus ko ay Turkey, kailangan ko siya makaharap. Nung kami na ng France, sabi ko, wala akong pakialam kahit home [bet] siya kasi nung 2022 pumunta ako ng Turkey, ako lang mag-isa, tapos kasama ko dalawang coaches, nung quarters kalaban ko home country, walang cheer, kinaya ko, 'yun nga lang natalo ako."

But when the match against Lkhadiri got tough in the second round, her coach came in for the extra boost.

"Sabi po ni coach sa'kin, papayag ka ba na kunin niya sayo? Sabi ko, 'Hindi akin 'to, akin 'to," and eventually it happened as Villegas also thanked God for it.

Villegas and Cakiroglu will meet in the semifinals on Wednesday. A win will assure her of at least a silver medal in the Summer Games.

—with reports from JP Soriano/JKC, GMA Integrated News