Since its Olympic debut in 2012, a total 41 female boxers made it to the medal podium. Flyweight boxer Nicola Adams and middleweight Claressa Shields are the household names in this sport, winning back-to-back gold in 2012 and 2016. Nesthy Petecio also made Olympic history in 2021, winning a silver in the featherweight division. She's the first Filipina boxer to medal in the Summer Olympics. Will Aira Villegas be the second Pinay boxer to win an Olympic medal? It could be a yes.
Carlos Paalam might be the only Pinoy boxer to win two Olympic medals after the draw was revealed. He was a beneficiary of the luck of the draw. Aira Villegas seemed to have the luck of the draw on her side after the draw came out. Villegas's past performances may not be as impressive as those who were seeded in the 50 kilogram division, but her opening bout spoke volume. She could go deep on her side of the draw.
Aira Villegas competed in the 51-kilogram division of the 2022 Asian Games, where she lost to Oyuntsetsegiin Yesügen of Mongolia in the opening round. She also won a bronze medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. Both results could've made her a long shot in the Boxing Olympics, but she was one of four quota winners in the women's 51 kilogram in the 2024 World Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament 1 in Busto Arsizio, Italy.
She punched her entry into the main draw in Paris. Villegas, a native of Tacloban, is a southpaw. Left-handed sports players are considered a pain in the near end. Gabriel "Flash" Elorde is one of the renowned southpaw boxers of all time. Villegas used it during her bout against Yasmine Moutaqui, a bronze medalist in the 51 kilogram division in the 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships, setting the tone by punishing her Moroccan foe with those crisp jabs.
“Keep that jab coming, keep that jab coming,” Philippine boxing team coach Don Abnett repeatedly instructed Villegas in the corner.
The judges gave their unanimous decision, thus advancing to the round of 16. It will happen on August 1. The winners advance to the quarterfinals, where they will square off on August 3.
Here are some interesting trivia:
Buse Naz Cakiroglu won the gold medal in the 50 kilogram division of the 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships, and the silver medal in the flyweight division in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She's been fighting in this division for the past years. It should make her the prohibitive favorite to win the gold medal on August 9.
Wu Yu, the 2023 world champion (in the flyweight division) is the toughest challenger of Buse Naz Cakiroglu. It should be an exciting bout IF both lived up to their top seeings.
Caroline de Almeida qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics after winning the gold medal in the 50 kilogram division in the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
She's the dark horse in the 50 kilogram division, a veteran who mustn't be overlooked at all. She would need all the luck in the semifinals, though.
If Aira Villegas's performance in the opening round was any indication, she would make it to the final four. Villegas will meet Roumaysa Boualam in the round of 16 The Algerian boxer won the flyweight gold in the 2023 Arfican Amaterur Boxing Championship and the 2023 Arab Games. Boualam defeated Moutaqui in the gold-medal bout of the 2023 Arab Games. Villegas's quarterfinal opponent could be Wassila Lkhadiri of France or Daina Moorehouse of Ireland. The former is a professional boxer while the latter is a promising flyweight from Dublin. Villegas has been boxing in the amateur class for years, so her experience would give her the slight edge. What about the others?
The Olympic gold medal is the only title missing in Buse Naz Cakiroglu's impressive resume. She didn't hide the fact that winning the gold in Paris is her ultimate goal. Wu Yun is likely the boxer who is standing in her way. And many are predicting a tantalizing finals between the two. Both boxers set their sights on the 2024 Olympics a few years ago.
They trained hard, and they have the results to back it off. It should come down to the boxer who wants it more, and Buse Naz has been very vocal about it. The proximity of Turkey to France would mean that her local fans, and the Arab spectators in the Arena Paris Nord, would cheer for her.
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