Nesthy chases last missing medal

NAGOYA – For Nesthy Petecio, there is almost nothing left to win.

She’s got not just one Olympic medal but two. She’s been a top podium finisher in the Worlds. And she’s dominated the Southeast Asian Games.

The Davao del Sur southpaw has built one of the most decorated resumes in Philippine boxing history. But one line in that resume has stayed stubbornly blank: the Asian Games.

The 34-year-old has been to the Asiad before and left without a medal. Now in Aichi-Nagoya, she gets one more shot at it – one that could finally complete her collection.

With her longtime division, the 57kg featherweight class, removed from the 2026 Asian Games program, Petecio moves up to 60kg lightweight and thus has to face heavier opponents and heavier punches.

Nonetheless, she’s locked in on the mission.

She starts her campaign tomorrow in the Round of 16 against Mays Alreem Abukhadijah of Jordan.

On paper, it’s a kind of light opening assignment for a two-time Olympic medalist. Abukhadijah is a young fighter from a federation still finding its feet in women’s boxing, without major international hardware to her name.

But Nesthy knows so well that at the Asian Games, nothing comes light.

Beyond Saturday, the draw gets brutal as giants await. To win that elusive medal, Petecio will have to go through the best in Asia, at a heavier weight, at 34 years old.

The list includes Kazakhstan’s Viktoriya Grafeyeva (World Championships bronze and back-to-back golds at the World Boxing Cups), Chinese Taipei’s reigning Olympic champion Lin Yu-ting, Vietnam Olympian Ha Thi Linh, Japan home favorite Ayaka Taguchi, Mongolia’s 2026 Asian Championship bronze medalist Namuun Monkhor, plus India’s rising Priya Ghanghas and Korea’s seasoned Yeonji Oh.

But it matters so much to Petecio, and that could well fuel her drive.

For years she carried Philippine boxing on her shoulders. A world title already proved she can beat anyone. Two Olympic medals proved she can do it when the lights are brightest.

An Asian Games medal would prove something else: that she finished everything she set out to do.

In Nagoya this week, she isn’t just fighting for a podium. She’s fighting for one more medal – the only one missing.