Grind continues for Petecio, Magno

MANILA, Philippines — Top Filipina boxers Nesthy Petecio and Irish Magno are not resting on their laurels amid the pandemic with continuous preparations for the Tokyo Olympics and the remaining qualifiers, respectively.

At home in Sta. Cruz, Davao Del Sur, the featherweight Petecio is steady in her training under the online program put up by the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP).

Her workouts include 4-km slow and steady run, two-round shadow boxing, footwork training, reps and leg swings since her homecoming in July after being stuck in Baguio and Pasig at the height of quarantine lockdown.

Petecio, the reigning AIBA Women’s world champion, looks to catch the last Olympic bus in the Global Boxing Qualifiers set to resume early next year after the pandemic.

She failed at her first Olympic shot last March with a tough quarterfinal loss in Asia and Oceania Boxing Olympic Qualifying Tournament held in Amman, Jordan.

Magno, for her part, is also leaving no stone unturned in her training camp with daily gym session at Fitstart Gym in Barangay Tamuan, a 20-minute ride from her residence in Janiuay, Iloilo, apart from ABAP’s daily program.

"There's no stopping. I'm focused on the main goal and I will continue to do so," she said.

The flyweight Magno already punched an Olympic berth in the same Asian tourney last March to join fellow boxer Eumir Marcial, gymnast Caloy Yulo and pole vaulter EJ Obiena as the only Filipino qualifiers in Tokyo so far.