Olympic medalists Nesthy Petecio, Aira Villegas set sights on SEA Games

After making a splash in Paris, Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas are now targeting more medals in Thailand.

Petecio and Villegas bannered the Philippine boxing during the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning bronze medals in women's 57kg and 50kg divisions respectively to help the country's medal hike to four with Carlos Yulo winning twin golds in gymnastics.

And the two boxers hope to extend their winning form come the 2025 Southeast Asian Games set to be hosted by Thailand in December.

"For now, as for me, I don't know what the future holds pero ‘yung pinaghahandaan ko po ngayon is SEA Games," Villegas said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Awards Night on Monday.

"Parang balik po ulit sa umpisa. After ng Olympics, training ulit and then kung ano ‘yung mga major tournaments doon po tayo nagre-ready."

[For now, as for me, I don't know what the future holds but what I'm preparing for now is the SEA Games... It's like starting from scratch. After the Olympics, training again and then get ready for the major tournaments..]

Villegas has yet to bag a gold medal in the regional biennial meet, but took home a bronze during the 2019 edition in Manila. Petecio, meanwhile, is the defending gold medalist in her division in Cambodia last year after defeating Indonesia's Ratna Sari Devi in the gold medal match.

Petecio also ruled in 2019 but would settle for a bronze in the next edition in Vietnam.

"SEA Games and may World Championship po kami this year and marami po kaming tournament pero ako, mas gusto kong bigyan ng chance ‘yung youth and juniors sa mga major tournaments," Petecio shared, saying she hopes to see other younger players in the spotlight.

[SEA Games and we have the World Championship this year and we have a lot of tournaments but I'd like to see the youth and juniors in the major tournaments.]

But while Petecio and Villegas are now gearing up for the SEA Games, it's still the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics that's in their mind.

"Ako, sobrang 100 percent ako na may Olympics (gold) talaga ang boxing para sa atin. Kung bibigyan ulit ako ng pagkakataon at makapag-qualify, ipupush pa natin nang ipupush hanggang mauwi natin ‘yung ginto," Petecio, who fell short of a gold medal back in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, said.

"Walang hinto hangga’t walang ginto."

[I'm 100-percent that there's an Olympic gold in boxing for me. If we get another chance and qualify we will push and push until we can take home the gold... No stopping until without gold.]

—JMB, GMA Integrated News