Nesthy faces Indon legend

MANILA, Philippines — Tokyo Olympic silver medalist and Paris Olympic bronze medalist Nesthy Petecio will battle Indonesian boxing legend Hasanah Huswatun at the Chulalongkorn University Sports Center, Bangkok today for the right to face Thailand’s Thananya Somnuek in the SEA Games women’s lightwelterweight 63kg final on Dec. 19.

It’s unfamiliar territory for Petecio who’s making her lightwelterweight debut. She won her Olympic medals in the featherweight 57kg division and in 2023, claimed the SEA Games gold in the same class. There are only three entries in their weight category with Somnuek drawing a bye to qualify straight to the final. Petecio, 33, is competing in her seventh SEA Games where she has collected two gold, three silver and a bronze.

“Nesthy is definitely not at her best physically and if the physical part is not there, the mental part is affected as well,” said ABAP secretary-general Marcus Manalo. “The hope is her talent and experience will be enough to pull off two wins to gold.”

Huswatun, 27, is with the Indonesian Army and focused on boxing in 2014 after starting out in taekwondo. The West Nusa Tenggara standout was 20 when she bagged a bronze at the 2018 Asian Games and became the first Indonesian to barge into the final of the ASBC Asian Elite Championships in Dubai in 2021. She’s considered the top Indonesian female boxer ever, pound for pound.

“They haven’t met before mainly because Nesthy competes at 57kg and Huswatun at 60kg,” said Manalo. “Moving Nesthy to 63kg and Riza (Pasuit) to 60kg is more about increasing both of their medal chances. I think 60kg would still be best for Nesthy at this point.” Pasuit fought in the 63kg division in the previous SEA Games and brought home a silver.  In the other bout involving a Filipino today, Flint Jara takes on Indonesia’s Daud Flanuari in the men’s 54kg quarterfinals.