By REY C. LACHICA
PARIS – To hear the national anthem while standing atop the podium is one dream that boxer Aira Villegas brings to this Olympic Games.
And Villegas stepped closer to that aspiration after she hacked out a pulsating 3-2 win over Frenchwoman Wassila Lkhadiri in the women’s 50kg class on Saturday, Aug. 3, at the North Paris Arena inside the Villepinte Exhibition Centre in Seine-Saint-Denis.
“That’s my goal. I want to experience that, I want that our national anthem to be played than others,” said the pride of Tacloban City.
That victory over Lkhadiri assured the Filipina of, at least, a bronze medal.
But the hurdles are going to be tougher from hereon.
She will be facing Turkish Naz Buse Cakiroglu in the semi-final round on Tuesday, Aug. 6 (Wednesday, Manila time).
Cakiroglu is no stranger to Villegas as the Turkish fighter handed her a 5-0 beating in the World Championships two years ago in Istanbul, Turkey.
“Ilan lang kami sa team noon (We were only a few in the team then), now I have the support of the Filipino community here,” added Villegas as she seemed to have already slain the ghosts of that debacle at the world championships.
For now, what is important for Villegas is that she’s healthy and focused more than ever. Moreover, they will be fighting on neutral ground.
“Nong naglaban sila ng Turkish the last time, may iniindang injury si Aira, ngayon maganda ang kondisyon at nasa neutral ground tayo,” said Team PH coach Rey Galido.
(When she and the Turkish met the last time around, Aira was nursing an injury. Now, she’s in good condition. Besides we’re now here in neutral ground)
Villegas had earlier celebrated her 29th birthday on Aug. 1 with a massive upset over No. 2 seed Roumaysa Boualam of Algeria.
