Aira Villegas Adds to Philippines’ Olympic Glory with Boxing Bronze

Aira Villegas has made a remarkable debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics, earning a bronze medal in the women’s boxing 50kg category. This marks the Philippines’ third medal in the 33rd Summer Games, adding to the achievements of gymnast Carlos Yulo, who secured two gold medals in artistic gymnastics.

Villegas’ journey ended in the semi-finals, where she faced a formidable opponent in Türkiye’s Buse Naz Cakiroglu. The second-seed Cakiroglu, who won silver at Tokyo 2020, dominated the first round according to all five judges. Despite a tough start, Villegas showed resilience and managed to knock down Cakiroglu in the second round, delivering a series of powerful punches that momentarily shifted the momentum in her favor.

However, Cakiroglu’s experience and skill proved too much for the Filipina boxer. Despite an even third round, Villegas could not overcome the deficit on the scorecards. Cakiroglu advanced to the gold-medal match, while Villegas proudly took home the bronze.

This achievement makes Villegas the second female boxer from the Philippines to win an Olympic medal, following Nesthy Petecio’s silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Her bronze medal adds to the Philippines’ medal tally and highlights the country’s growing prowess in Olympic boxing.

Villegas’ success also brings financial rewards. Under Republic Act 10699, she will receive P2,000,000 from the government as an incentive for her bronze medal win. This law stipulates that gold medalists in individual events receive P10,000,000, while silver medalists get P5,000,000.

Read related article: Here’s How Much Pinoy Athletes at Paris Olympics 2024 Will Earn For Winning Medals

Source: Olympics.com