AIRA VILLEGAS guaranteed a second medal for the Philippines in the 2024 Summer Olympics after prevailing against hometown favorite Wassila Lkhadiri in the quarterfinals of the Women’s boxing 50kg division. Villegas’ bout was held earlier today at the North Paris Arena in Seine-Saint-Denis, France.

Despite the home turf advantage of Lkhadiri, Villegas remained unfazed from the get-go. The five-man panel of judges favored the Filipina’s solid attacks over the French boxer’s quick combinations as they scored the first round 3-2 in favor of the Philippines.

The jeers from the French crowd proved futile against the Tacloban native as she fought tooth and nail in one of the most intense and grueling boxing bouts in this year’s Olympics. However, the playing field leveled out as the scores were all tied after the penultimate round.

Recognizing the closeness of the fight coming into the last round, she scaled up her aggression in the final minutes—creating openings for clear and powerful punches. When the dust settled, the 29-year-old Filipino emerged victorious via split decision, taking down yet another highly-favored foe in the tournament.

The win was a statement comeback for Villegas, who previously lost to Lkhadiri at the 74th Strandja Cup in Bulgaria last year. Adding fire to her desire for victory were the unexpected Olympic exits of her fellow Filipino boxers, particularly Eumir Marcial and Carlo Paalam. “Kailangan ko siyang gawing motivation para ibawi ang mga kasamahan ko,” Villegas shared in an interview with One Sports. 

(I need to turn their defeats into motivation to avenge my fellow boxers.) 

Hunting for an opportunity to capture gold, Villegas’ next fight will be against Turkey’s Buse Naz Çakıroğlu in the semifinals on Wednesday, August 7, at the same venue.

Scorecards:

Villegas vs. Lkhadiri: 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 28-29, 27-30