MANILA, Philippines, August 2 ------ Filipina boxer Aira Villegas celebrated her 29th birthday in the most memorable fashion in the Paris Olympics. Villegas gifted herself with the best possible present as she advanced to the women’s 50kg quarterfinals after disposing of Algeria’s Roumaysa Boualam at the North Paris Arena. “This is the best gift ever to myself. I will remember this for the rest of my life. This is a gift to my younger self and to my future self. I heard fans singing happy birthday. I’m very grateful,” Villegas told reporters.
Getting the nod of all five judges by scores of 30-27, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, Villegas moved within a victory of a guaranteed medal. The pride of Tacloban City clinched the first and third rounds to set up a date with home bet Wassila Lkhadiri of France as they lock horns for a spot in the semifinals on Saturday, August 3 (Sunday, August 4, Manila time). All four semifinalists are assured of at least a bronze. “I’m very proud of myself,” Villegas said. “At the moment, a medal is just only a dream. But I’m here. And I’m very proud that I can be here.”
Boualam, a two-time African Games champion, kept the result in the balance when she won the second round, 3-2, but slowed down in the final round as Villegas landed the clearer shots to nail the unanimous decision win. Villegas’ triumph marked her second over a foe from the African continent after she beat Morocco’s Yasmine Mouttaki in the round of 32, also via unanimous decision.
Reaching the semifinals, though, will not come easy for Villegas as she faces a challenging opponent in Lkhadiri, who bagged bronze in the previous IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. Lkhadiri, who drew a first-round bye as the seventh seed, reached the quarterfinals following a 4-1 victory over Ireland’s Daina Moorehouse in the round of 16. Also still in the running for boxing medals are Nesthy Petecio (women’s 57kg) and Carlo Paalam (men’s 57kg).
Source: rappler.com
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