Petecio’s Tokyo dream in doubt after suspension of WOQT

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Filipina boxer Nesthy Petecio was one win away from grabbing her Tokyo Olympics dream but fell to Japanese star Sena Irie that knocked her out of an early Tokyo seat.

With the loss, Petecio would have to compete in the last World Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT) in Paris to qualify for the Olympics.

However, the International Olympic Committee Boxing Taskforce recently announced that the last WOQT in Paris will be suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In line with this, the last WOQT suspension would cancel those who attempt for one last shot for a Tokyo qualifier, and that means Petecio loses her opportunity for an Olympics berth.

As of the moment, no action from the Philippine boxing committee has been made regarding Petecio’s hopes of a Tokyo seat.

“Safeguarding the well-being of the athletes, officials and all other participants is a top priority for the BTF. Since the preparation phase of the event, the BTF has been working in close cooperation with the Local Organising Committee, the delivery body of the competition, as well as its stakeholders, its own medical experts, and the national health authorities, to set up the necessary precautionary measures,” a statement from the IOC read.