Nesthy Petecio found renewed strength as she continues to hunt for the country’s first Olympic gold medal in boxing.
“Lagi kong sinasabi ‘yong walang hihinto hangga’t walang ginto ,” said Petecio in her speech during the 2022 Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards night at the Diamond Hotel in Manila last March 14.
“Pero hindi. May isang other side ko na hindi pa. Hindi pa tapos ‘yong laban kasi wala ka pang ginto ,” said Petecio, who bagged silver medal in the featherweight division of women’s boxing in the Tokyo Games.Petecio recalled that Diaz’s success story en route to the country’s historic and first gold medal prompted her to pursue another Olympic run.
Taking inspiration from Diaz, Petecio wanted to repeat what the elite weightlifter did — from taking home the silver medal in the 2016 Rio Games to winning the gold in the Tokyo Olympics.