Aira Villegas claims bronze as boxer falls short vs Turkish foe in semis

Aira Villegas officially claimed a bronze medal after falling short against Turkish boxer Buse Naz Cakiroglu in the semifinals of the women's 50kg boxing event of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Wednesday.

A slot in the semis already assured the Filipino boxer of an Olympic medal in the Paris Games.

This is the Philippines' third medal in the ongoing Games following gymnast Carlos Yulo's double gold medal in men's gymnastics.

Cakiroglu won in points via unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-26, 30-27, 30-27, 30-26.

The Turkish boxer dominated early with big shots, with Villegas at the receiving end of a standing count at one point in the first round. Despite the Filipino boxer showing a better fight late in the frame, Cakiroglu still swept the judges' score cards.

Coming into the second round, Cakiroglu still showed a solid performance until the Turkish boxer had a quick fall before the final minute of the said period. However, Cakiroglu still had the judges' nods.

In the third round, the Turkish boxer still swept the score cards en route to the victory.

Villegas' journey to the Olympic medal started with a win against Morocco's Yasmine Mouttaki at the Round of 32, followed by a win against Algeria's Roumaysa Boualam which she also got via unanimous decision.

Prior to the loss, Villegas defeated hometown bet Wassila Lkhadiri in the quarters via split decision, 3-2.

Aside from Villegas, fellow boxer Nesthy Petecio is also assured of a bronze medal as she punched a semis ticket in the women's 57kg event.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News