SPORTS FACTS AND FIGURES 36: NESTHY PETECIO, HERGIE BACYADAN, AIRA VILLEGAS AND ROGEN LADON WIN GOLDS IN THE 2024 BOXAM ELITE TOURNAMENT
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 04 Feb 2024
Top: Nesthy Petecio (L), Aira Villegas (R)
Bottom: Rogen Ladon (L), Hergie Bacyadan (R).
The Philippine boxing team won all their four final matches capturing four gold medals in the 2024 Boxam Elite Tournament in La Nucia, Spain on Saturday, February 3. The victories proved that the team is ready for the Paris Olympic qualification tournaments.
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Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Nesthy Petecio led all the gold medal winners after outpointing Chinese Taipei’s Huang Hsiao-Wen via a 4-1 split decision conquering the women’s 57kg division. In the earlier phase, Petecio defeated France’s Sthelyne Grosy, 4-2. Then in the next round, Switzerland's Ana Marija Milisic quit their semifinal match in the second round.
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Aira Villegas, escaped with a close 3-2 verdict over Kazakhstan’s Kyzaibay Nazym to prevail in the women’s 50kg class. Villegas drew an opening round bye, then dominated her foes Ireland's Caitlin Fryers and England 's Kelsey Oakley both by unanimous decision then won over Nazym.
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Former world vovinam champion Hergie Bacyadan showed to the world she can also excel in boxing by ruling the women’s 75kg via unanimous decision over Yerzhan Gulsaya of Kazakhstan. She also earned a first-round bye before thumping Mexico’s Citlalli Ortiz, 4-1, in the semis going to the finals.
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On the other hand, 2016 Rio Olympian Rogen Ladon effortlessly seized the gold medal in the men’s 51kg winning by default over Hungarian Istvan Szaka. He escaped with a close 3-2 split decision over Mexican Ari Bonilla in the semis and edged Scott Richards of Wales with a 3-2 decision in the quarterfinals.
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Philippine team boxers still have two opportunities left to qualify for the Paris Olympics via the 2024 World Qualification Tournaments, which will be held on February 29 to March 12 in Busto Arsizio, Italy, and on May 23 to June 3 in Bangkok, Thailand. Only Eumir Marcial has qualified for the Paris Games after winning the silver medal in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
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Russell Westbrook became the 25th player in NBA history to score 25,000 points. Thus, Westbrook joins LeBron James as the only other player to collect 25,000 points, 9,000 assists and 8,000 rebounds. Westbrook reached the 25,000-point milestone on his final basket of the game with 2:44 left with a driving layup in the fourth quarter of the LA Clippers’ 136-124 victory in Detroit.
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Westbrook, the all-time leader in triple-doubles, started the game with 24,977 career points and finished it with 23 points. He is now 192 points behind Jerry West and 279 points behind Reggie Miller on the all-time scoring list.
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Sports History: February 4, 1979. Alexis Arguello retained his WBC world junior lightweight title against Alfredo Escalera.
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