TOKYO Olympics silver medalist Nesthy Petecio will travel to Baguio City on Friday to join her national boxing teammates at the Teachers Camp training bubble aiming to get back in fighting shape for three major competitions in 2022.
Petecio told BusinessMirror that she intends to defend her world championship gold medal in March when the postponed worlds are held in Istanbul.
“My coaches wanted me to fight in Turkey so I can defend my title,” Petecio, 29, said. “But the first step is to get back in shape.
Petecio was the women’s featherweight world champion in Ulan-Ude, Russia, in 2019. The International Boxing Association scheduled the women’s worlds for this month, but postponed it for March because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Also on Petecio’s 2022 program are the 31st Southeast Asian Games in May in Hanoi and the 19th Asian Games in Huangzhou in September.
The rewards and perks of being an Olympic medalist kept Petecio away from serious training for the past three months. She admitted she’s overweight, although she stayed fit by doing gym work almost every day since she settled for the Olympic silver medal against Japan’s Sena Irie last August 3.
The pride of Santa Cruz in Davao del Sur thanked the Philippine Coast Guard, her benefactor Lucas Britanico and the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines for providing her a training venue during her layoff.
“I still train despite my busy schedule as a team leader at the Coast Guard. I jog and do the punching bag to stay fit,” said Petecio, a Petty Officer Three assigned at the Special Service Office in Parola, Manila.
Petecio didn’t say how many pounds she gained in the past three months, but stressed she could easily get to her training weight of 60 kgs and eventually the featherweight limit of 57 kgs.
“We have a good nutritionist—Jeaneth Aro—she will help us as we train,” she said.
Petecio, along with fellow Tokyo silver medalist Carlo Paalam and bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial received their brand new houses and lots from Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and Senator Francis Tolentino last Sunday in Barangay San Jose, Tagaytay City.