BAC NINH CITY, Vietnam. – Tokyo Olympics women’s boxing silver medalist Nesthy Petecio stakes her world-class mettle against Myanmar’s Kay Thwe in the 31st Southeast Asian Games on Wednesday at the Bac Ninh Stadium.
A victory by Petecio will guarantee her a bronze medal while fellow Olympian Eumir Felix Marcial, who won a bronze in the Tokyo Olympiad last year, drew a bye on Wednesday. He will fight in Thursday’s quarterfinals against the winner between Peerapat Yeasungnoen of Thailand and Bui Phuoc Tung of Vietnam.
Petecio, the women’s featherweight silver winner in Tokyo, battles Myanmar’s Kay Thwe in the quarterfinals.
The other Tokyo Olympian, Irish Magno, will collide against Indonesia’s Novita Sinadia on Friday in the women’s flyweight semifinals, while Marjon Piañar, who also drew a bye, will fight in Friday’s semifinals in the men’s welterweight against either Sarohatua Lumbantobing of Indonesia or Cambodia’s Vy Sophors.
“We are going to do our very best to match our last SEA Games performance three years ago; that’s what we prepared for,” Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines training director Don Abnett said.
Filipino boxers won seven gold, three silver and two bronze medals in the Philippines 2019 Games.
Marcial, 26, who won his second fight as a pro earlier this year, will go into the middleweight class as the favorite, having dominated the division since 2015 in Singapore.
“I’m focusing on my fights for now,” said Marcial.
