Filipino boxers Nesthy Petecio and Eumir Marcial opened their campaign in the Paris Olympics yesterday (Philippine time), both looking to improve upon their achievements in the Tokyo Summer Games in 2021.

Petecio, the Tokyo Olympics silver medalist, faces India’s Jaismine Lamboria in the women’s 57 kilogram Round-of-32.

Lamboria, a Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, secured her Olympic spot after a series of impressive victories.

But Petecio is equally determined to grab the gold medal that eluded her in Tokyo, when she competed in the Olympics for the first time.

“Walang hinto, hangga’t walang ginto,” said Petecio, repeating her mantra that she started after the Tokyo Games.

Marcial, the Tokyo bronze medalist, received a first-round bye before facing Uzbekistan’s Turabek Khabibullaev in the Round-of-16 on Wednesday, July 31.

Should he prevail, a potential quarterfinal clash with reigning Olympic champion Arlen Lopez of Cuba looms large.

The Cuban, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, turned professional after his Tokyo triumph but has maintained his competitive edge.

Beyond Lopez, the road to gold is littered with formidable opponents.

Top seed Tuohetaerbieke Tanglatihan of China, who defeated Marcial at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, and the hard-hitting Ukrainian Oleksandr Khyzhniak, who narrowly edged out the Filipino in Tokyo, pose significant threats.

“Abangan na lang nila,” said Marcial when asked what kind of preparation he had done for the Olympics when spotted by Filipino sportswriters after Aira Villegas’ 5-0 triumph early Monday morning, July 29, against Morocco’s Yasmine Mouttaki. (ABS-CBN News)