'Fantastic 4' last Filipino boxers standing in Olympic qualifier

MANILA, Philippines -- From 10 brave souls, the Philippines’ Olympic boxing hopes now rest on the last Filipinos standing — Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, Rogen Ladon and Aira Villegas.

Or you can call them the "Fantastic Four".

Showing iron will and brave hearts, the foursome pulled off victories after victories in the World Qualification Tournament in Busto Arsizio, Italy Friday that kept the fire burning in their desire for a Paris Games berth this July.

Petecio, the Tokyo silver medalist and the leader of the pack, continued her juggernaut and smashed a bedazzled German Nancy Canan Tas to submission with a 5-0 victory that catapulted her straight to quarterfinals of the women’s 57-kilogram class.

There, the former world champion from Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur will battle Dutch Maud Van der Toorn, who was equally impressive in a 5-0 win over Spaniard Jennifer Fernandez Romero. She will eye one of the two wins to barge into the finals where she would claim one of the two Olympic slots staked in her division.

Paalam, also a Tokyo silver winner who drew an opening-round bye, finally got a taste of the action and instantly made his presence felt with a 3-1 triumph over Mexican Andrey Bonilla in surging to the round-of-16 in the men’s 57kg.

Unlike Petecio, the Cagayan de Oro native would just need to advance to the semis to make the Paris cut, which means he would need just two more wins including one against Turkmenistan’s Shukur Ovesov, a 3-2 winner over Iran’s Daniyal Shahbakhsh, in the Last 8.

Also needing just two wins were Villegas, who eked out a tight 3-2 result over Canadian Mckenzie Wright and forged a women’s 50kg Last 16 showdown with Danish Sofie Vinter Rosshaug, who dominated Afghan Sadia Bromand, 5-0; and Ladon, who already advanced to the men’s 51kg round-of-16 following his second-round stoppage of Moroccan Mortaji a few days back.

These valiant men and women are seeking to join fellow pug Eumir Marcial, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, and gymnasts Carlos Yulo and Aleah Finnegan in Paris.