Petecio advances, Paalam falls in Boxam Elite tilt

MANILA, Philippines – Olympic silver medal winner Nesthy Petecio fried French Sthelyn Grosy, 4-1, to advance to the semifinals in the women’s 57-kilogram class of the Boxam Elite Tournament in La Nucia in Alicante, Spain Thursday.

That set the 31-year-old Petecio up against Swiss Ana Marija Milisic, who smashed Hungarian Rebeka Dobos, 5-0, for a chance at advancing further to the tournament that she and the Philippine boxing team are using on their way to this July’s Paris Olympics.

The other half of the semis in Petecio’s bracket were Chinese Taipei’s Huang Hsiao-Wen, who bested Hungary’s Szabina Szucs, and Spain’s Jenifer Fernandez Romero, who clobbered Kazakhstan’s Karina Ibragimova, 4-1.

But while Petecio advanced, fellow Tokyo Games silver medalist Carlo Paalam was ambushed by Cuban Ewart Andres Marin Hernandez in a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat in the men’s 57kg division.

It denied Paalam a semis date with Wales’ Owain Harris-Allen, who edged Italy’s Francesco Iozia, 3-2.

While Paalam bid goodbye for now, he should lick his wound and try to recover as he resumes his quest for a Paris ticket.

Petecio thus joined fellow survivors, 2016 Rio Olympian Rogen Ladon (men’s 51kg), Aira Villegas (women’s 50kg) and Hergie Bacyadan (women’s 75kg) to carry the fight for the Filipinos.