Nesthy Petecio surprised by sparring requests

Nesthy Petecio (left) settled for the silver in the Tokyo Olympics after losing to hometown bet Sena Irie (right) in the final. —INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Staying busy in a training facility in Bangkok last month, Nesthy Petecio was amazed at the volume of boxers looking to trade blows with her atop the ring.

“I was surprised with the number of boxers who wanted to spar with me at the training camp,’’ said Petecio, who is back in Manila after a monthlong workout at the Thai capital.

Getting a crack at Petecio is quite understandable since most, if not all of them, craved exchanging mitts with an Olympic medalist.

READ: Nesthy Petecio, Aira Villegas qualify for Paris Olympics boxing

Petecio pocketed the silver medal in the women’s 57-kilogram class during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and with Japan’s Sena Irie, the champion in the featherweight division, now gone, the Filipino former world champion is considered at the top of the pecking order.

“They just loved to face me in the ring and I really don’t know why. As soon as I arrived in the camp, several boxers immediately took interest in slugging it out with me,’’ said Petecio.

She will leave for the Metz training camp in France with Olympic qualifiers Aira Villegas, Hergie Bacyadan and Carlo Paalam in less than two weeks.

READ: Nesthy Petecio clinches Paris berth, and hard work just continues

They are scheduled to travel together to Germany in another arranged camp from July 1 to July 14 together with Eumir Marcial and fellow Olympians from 22 countries, serving as the ultimate phase of their preparation for the Paris Olympics.

“I’m in the process of building up my strength and stamina. But I think what I really have to develop from now until the Olympics is the proper mindset once I enter the ring,’’ said Petecio.

The 2019 world champion in her division encounters not a few distractions in her buildup, but perfectly knows how to deflect them.

“There are distractions every day, but I always choose peace of mind,’’ said Petecio.

The two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist lost to Irie via unanimous decision in their gold-medal match in Tokyo, but the defeat only boosted her resolve.

“I feel that my confidence isn’t there yet, but I’m on my way to getting there,’’ said Petecio.