By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
A small contingent will carry the Philippine flag at the 2023 IBA World Women’s Boxing Championships firing off Thursday, March 16, in New Delhi, India.
Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Nesthy Petecio headlines the squad also composed of Aira Villegas and Riza Pasuit in their bid to make it to the podium of the prestigious weeklong slugfest.
Joining the three fighters are coaches Mitchell Martinez, Rey Galido and Don Abnett.
The team actually left for India last week to acclimatize and get a few days of training in time for the competition.
Petecio is expected to display the form that won her the featherweight gold medal in the 2019 edition in Ulan-Ude, Russia. She also boasts of a silver medal in the 2014 edition held in Jeju City, South Korea.
Villegas, for her part, seeks to eclipse her quarterfinal finish in the light flyweight division in last year’s edition in Istanbul, Turkey, while trying to lean on a morale-boosting victory at the 2022 Thailand Open.
Pasuit, meanwhile, also attempts to make an impact after winning the bronze medal in the 2022 Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.
More than 300 athletes from 65 countries are expected to see action in 12 events at the 6,000-seater K.D Jadhav Indoor Hall.
This would be the third time that India is hosting the tournament since 2006 and 2018.
