AIRA Villegas is out to continue the momentum of the boxing team as the lone Philippine athlete in action in Day Six of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Villegas, though, faces an acid test in Roumaysa Boualam of Algeria in the women’s 50kg. on Thursday 8:16 p.m. (Friday, 2:16 a.m. Manila time) at the Arena Paris Nord.
Villegas was the first Philippine boxer to compete in this Olympics last Monday, beating Yasmine Mouttaki of Morocco, and a win here would push her to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
An upset for the Tacloban City-born boxer, however, won't come easy against Boualam, seeded at No. 2 in the tournament and drew a first round bye.
The match comes on the heels of Carlo Paalam’s victory on Tuesday in the men’s 57kg division over Jude Gallagher of Ireland that revived the morale of Team Philippines following the shocking defeat by Eumir Marcial in the men’s 80kg category.
Villegas’ bout also serves as a calm before the storm for Team Philippines ahead of a busy weekend that will also see pole vaulter EJ Obiena in action in the qualifiers on Saturday and Carlos Yulo vying for gold in the apparatus events of floor exercise and vault on Saturday and Sunday respectively for Team Philippines.
Nesthy Petecio will also resume her campaign against Amina Zidani of France on Friday in the round-of-16 of the women’s 57kg, with rower Joanie Delgaco and swimmer Jarod Hatch also on the schedule.
But for the 29-year-old Villegas to extend her Olympics, she must beat her second-seed opponent who is making her second Olympic appearance but has made great strides over the years.
After becoming the first female boxer from Algeria to make the Olympics in Tokyo, she won gold medals in the African Championships, African Games, Mediterranean Games, Arab Games during the last three years that earned her the lofty ranking in this year’s Paris Games.
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