Nesthy Petecio bows out early in Asian Games boxing

Filipino boxer Nesthy Petecio in the Asian Games in Huangzho, China. –POOL PHOTO

HANGZHOU, China—Nesthy Petecio became the latest casualty in the short list of promising Filipino medalists at the 19th Asian Games.

Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu Ting delivered the cataclysmic blow by upending Petecio, 4-1, on Friday at Hangzhou Gymnasium here, showing the Filipino Olympic silver medalist the door in the women’s 57kg boxing.

In a high-pressure effort to redeem herself after Petecio booted her out in the round of 16 during the Tokyo Olympics, Lin gained headway in the opening round, putting Petecio at a disadvantage early on.

The 31-year-old Petecio made drastic measures to reverse the trend in the second round with power shots to the head and body, but the judges didn’t seem convinced.

Already caught in the ropes, Petecio, the 2019 women’s world featherweight champion, assertively looked for an opportunity to quickly end the contest with Lin and grimly didn’t find it.

“It was her style of fighting against mine. She was able to impose her style,” said Petecio in Filipino.

When the referees raised the arm of the rangy Lin up high after three rounds, Petecio could only shake her head in frustration, knowing that the path to next year’s Paris Olympics will be strewn with bigger obstacles.

Petecio’s exit left the national boxing team’s hopes for a podium performance pinned on Olympic medalists Carlo Paalam (men’s 57kg) and Eumir Marcial (men’s 80kg) and heavyweight John Marvin (men’s 92kg).