Nesthy Petecio leads Philippines' four-gold medal haul in Spain tourney

By GMA Integrated News

Published February 6, 2024 3:17pm

Nesthy Petecio Philippine boxing Olympics

FILE PHOTO. Southeast Asian Games - Boxing - Chroy Changvar Convention Centre Hall G, Phnom Penh, Cambodia - May 14, 2023 Philippines' Nesthy Alcayde Petecio reacts after winning gold against Indonesia's Ratna Sari Devi in the women's 57kg category REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa

Filipina Olympian Nesthy Petecio dazzled in Spain as she led the country's four-gold medal haul in the 2024 Boxam Elite International Tournament alongside fellow boxers Rogen Ladon, Aira Villegas, and Hergie Bacyadan.

The 31-year-old Petecio, who won a silver medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, reigned supreme in the women's 57kg division after a split decision victory against Hsiao-Wen Huang while Villegas emerged as champion in the women's 50kg category.

Multiple-time SEA Games medalist Ladon, on the other hand, ruled the men's -51kg after winning over Istvan Szaka of Hungary while Bacyadan defeated Yerzhan Gulsaya of Kazakhstan to capture the women's -75kg title.

Team Philippines displayed a successful showing at the 2024 Boxam Elite Tournament held in La Nucia, Spain. Our national boxing team brought home four gold medals in different weight divisions. Congratulations!

Nesthy Petecio
???? - Women’s Featherweight 57kg pic.twitter.com/TmMPaEhuXF
— Philippine Sports Commission (@psc_gov) February 5, 2024

The tournament is not a qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics but Team Philippines ramped up its preparation to bid for Summer Games spots with these positive results.

They are set to compete in a pair of World Olympics Boxing Qualifying events on February 29 to March 12 in Italy and on May 23 to June 3 in Thailand.

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News

Tags: boxing, amateur boxing, nesthy petecio, Rogen Ladon, Aira Villegas