By MARK REY MONTEJO
It was disappointing as it was a heartbreaking but two-time Olympic boxing medalist Nesthy Petecio is not about to give up on her dream.
So after her ‘unacceptable’ bronze-medal finish in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, Petecio will go all-out on her next journey – the 20th Asian Games in Japan next year.
This could be her best chance, if not her last chance to prove whether she still has what it takes to produce a golden show. And she’s determined about it.
Shocked yet smiling after her 3-2 split loss to Indonesian rival Hasanah Huswatun, a result that dashed her bid for the top honor in the women’s 63kg event, the pride of Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur has vowed to use all the lessons learned from her SEA Games experience.
“Ang laban ko sa SEA Games 2025 ay maraming lessons na iniwan sa akin. Hindi man ito yung result na gusto ko, pero mas naging malinaw kung ano pa ang kailangan kong i-improve,” Petecio wrote on her social media post.
“Mas tutok na training, mas maayos na preparation, at mas solid na performance sa mga susunod na laban,” she added.
Petecio said she will be focusing on her recovery as she undergoes an eye surgery next year, a move that she thought would boost her performance in her future competitions.
Petecio has won most of the major tournaments across the globe, including World and Asian Championships. But above it all, her achievements were highlighted by her silver and bronze medals in the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics, respectively.
But the Asian Games remain an unconquered battleground for Petecio. Since her 2014 debut in Incheon, South Korea, she has yet to produce a medal in the quadrennial continental joust.
“Habang tinatapos ko ang 2025, iniiwan ko na lahat ng negativities at dinadala ko lang ang mga natutunan, motivation, at fighting spirit,” Petecio said.
“Sa 2026 papasok ako na may good vibes, new goals, at mas malinaw na paningin, aw! direction pala. Ready na ulit lumaban,” said Petecio. “Okay. Let’s go Asian Games 2026!” she added.
