Aira Villegas takes home boxing bronze after semifinals loss

Philippines’ Aira Villegas (Blue) receives instructions from the coach during the break while competing against Turkey’s Buse Naz Cakiroglu in the women’s 50kg semifinal boxing match during the Paris Olympics 2024 at the Roland-Garros Stadium, in Paris on August 6, 2024. (Photo by Mauro PIMENTEL / AFP)

Aira Villegas ran into an accurate-punching opponent and missed out on a final ticket after bowing to Turkiye’s Buse Naz Cakiroglu early Wednesday morning in the women’s 50kg boxing semifinals of the Paris Olympics at Stade Roland Garros.

Villegas will thus settle for the bronze medal, officially becoming the second Filipino to get a podium finish.

Cakiroglu, the first female Olympic medalist for boxing, advances to the final against China’s Wu Yu.

The Turkiye flyweight was dominant all bout long, and won on all judges’ scorecards. She hasn’t lost a single card on her road to the final, a show of dominance unmatched in the tournament.

Cakiroglu set the pace early, rocking Villegas with a combination to the head that forced a standing count.

Villegas showed flashes of a comeback in the second, at one point tagging a backpedaling Cakiroglu with a 1-2 that saw the Turkiye bet landing on the floor. But the fall was ruled a slip.

Cakiroglu continued finding her mark in the second, leaving Villegas hunting for a big shot in the third; the Filipino needed a last-round stoppage to salvage her bid.

Villegas had her moments in the third, but Cakiroglu was simply too accurate, finding her target to continue running away straight to the final.

The Philippines thus upped its medal count to two golds, both courtesy of gymnast Carlos Yulo, and a bronze.

Nesthy Petecio will gun for at least a silver medal when she fights in the semifinals of the women’s 57kg division on Friday against Poland’s Julia Szeremeta.

Petecio, the Tokyo Olympics silver medalist, is the last fighter in contention for the Philippines, with Eumir Marcial and Hergie Bacyadan losing their opening bouts and Carlo Paalam exiting in the quarterfinals.

A win by Petecio will guarantee the Philippines a silver medal.