Petecio bolstered by masterclass vs Indian foe

MANILA, Philippines -- Filipina boxer Nesthy Petecio will carry the momentum of her strong start in the Paris Olympics as she fights for a spot in the quarterfinals on Saturday (Manila time).

Petecio impressively won her women’s 57 kilogram round of 32 bout against India’s Jaismine Lamboria early Wednesday morning to punch a ticket to the round of 16.

There, she will face hometown bet Amina Zidani at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

In an interview with One Sports after her win, Petecio raved about her good start.

“It was a good start. Sobrang magandang simula ito para sa akin, sa amin ng team,” the Olympic silver medalist said.

“Sana magtuloy-tuloy kasi yung next na kalaban namin, France,” she added.

Petecio, who put up a defensive masterclass against Lamboria, also underscored that it was a good thing that she was able to spar with the Indian boxer in the past.

“Sa totoo lang, sobrang laking tulong na buti na lang, naka-sparring ko siya. Yun talaga ang sinabi ko nung after ng weigh-in namin,” she said.

She likewise tipped her hat to her coach for the strategy – keeping her distance against Lamboria – that worked to a tee.

“Distance talaga ang pinaka-importante. Training namin iyon, pinag-aralan namin.”

The pride of Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur also thanked the fans for cheering for her, which hyped the Olympic medalist.

The 32-year-old is one of four Filipino boxers still in the running for an Olympic medal.