PARIS — Olympic medalists Nesthy Petecio and Eumir Marcial are poised to commence their respective campaigns at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Tuesday, with high hopes to improve on their past performances and clinch gold.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Tokyo Olympics silver medalist in boxing, is set to compete against India's Jaismine Lamboria in the women's 57kg Round of 32 at 5:54 p.m. local time (11:54 p.m. Philippine time). Lamboria, who comes into the Olympics with a bronze medal from the Commonwealth Games, qualified after a series of notable victories. Petecio has openly expressed her commitment to fighting tirelessly to transform her previous silver into gold this year, quoting her motivational mantra, "Walang hinto, hangga't walang ginto" (No stopping until I win gold).
Eumir Marcial, who captured the bronze in Tokyo, will enter the competition with a first-round bye. He is scheduled to face Uzbekistan's Turabek Khabibullaev in the men's middleweight Round of 16 at 9:04 p.m. Paris time (July 31, 3:04 a.m. Philippine time). If successful, Marcial could potentially meet the reigning Olympic champion Arlen Lopez of Cuba in the quarterfinals. Lopez, who went professional after his last Olympic win, remains a formidable opponent in the field. The path to the finals for Marcial will also likely include encounters with top seed Tuohetaerbieke Tanglatihan of China and Ukrainian Oleksandr Khyzhniak, both of whom have previously bested Marcial in significant bouts.
The Filipino athletes' journey in Paris is closely watched by their supporters back home, with both expressing a quiet confidence in their preparation and readiness for the challenges ahead. Marcial, in particular, hinted at his rigorous preparation for the Paris Games when interacting with Filipino sportswriters following fellow boxer Aira Villegas' victory against Morocco's Yasmine Mouttaki.