By REY C. LACHICA
HANGZHOU, China — Tokyo Games silver medal winner Nesthy Petecio knows very well she’s not getting any younger anymore.
At 31, the pride of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur is hoping to be lucky this time around after two failed tries in the region’s biggest showpiece.
“Lagi lang ako quarterfinals, sana this time mas maganda kasi di na tayo bumabata,” said Petecio in a interview following the send-off ceremony for the PH delegation to the Hangzhou Asian Games at the Plenary hall of the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on Monday.
“Mahirap po mag-predict, ayoko magsabi pero sobra excited ako this time,” she added. “Sobra mahalaga sa akin ang Asian Games na ito kasi d na tayo bumabata, may nararamdaman na rin tayo.”
She received huge financial rewards from the government, not to mention other perks from samaritans and corporate sponsors after her silver finish in the Tokyo Games – most of them she shared with her family.
Looking fit after their training camp in Australia, the 5-foot-2 hopes to put a fitting sequel to her impressive Tokyo Games and 2023 Cambodia SEA Games showing in order to save for the future.
“Yung sa Tokyo Games, yun para sa pamilya ko, praying that I will make it this time for my self, and of course para sa bayan,” said Petecio, while flashing her usual winsome smile.
But the path to the Paris Olympics won’t be as easy as reciting the alphabet.
Apart from the Australian training camp, the national boxing team also plunged into an honest-to-goodness camp in India in the middle of their massive training since the Hangzhou Games in the main qualifier for the Asian Games.
And that’s precisely the main reason why Petecio promised to give it her all to have another chance to earn enough moolah for the rainy days.
Counting the P1 million dangled by Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino to all gold medal winners, Petecio stands to receive a P3 million cash windfall if she can go all the way to the Promised Land.
If she’s lucky enough, the large chunk of the bonus will go to her retirement fund.
But standing in her way are perennial rivals from Taiwan, China, Kazakstan and even India.
Though she knows some of them, there’s no guarantee that she will have a clear advantage, saying: “Kahit kilala mo sila at medyo alam mo style nila, I’m sure pinag-aaralan din nila ang style namin.”
“Paunahan na lang pagdating sa laban,” said Petecio, a remark that elicited laughter from a group of reporters.
