Aira Villegas proved it was her day by punching a ticket to the last eight of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 women’s boxing 50 kg category with a unanimous decision win over Algeria’s Roumaysa Boualam on Friday at the North Paris Arena.
On the morning of her 29th birthday, Villegas moved within one win of her first Olympic medal.
She will face hometown favorite Wassila Lkhadiri on Sunday, August 4, at 3:20 AM.
With the first two rounds putting the Filipino Olympic debutant slightly ahead on the scorecards, Villegas made a sound tactical approach in the third round to clinch the win.
Boualam started strong with good hits in the third round, but Villegas combined a defensive stance with timely punches to close out the show.
The Tacloban City native began on a good note, landing some solid exchanges at the start of the contest. Her use of speed against the African Games champion made the difference, taking the round on the judges’ cards.
Boualam, who had an opening-round bye, had other plans. She capitalized on the Filipino’s slight preference for a defensive stance, scoring with better quality to get the nod from three judges.
The day still belonged to Villegas as her win and advancement into the next round became a rousing birthday present, keeping her Olympic dream alive.
