Nesthy Petecio delivered a masterclass in the ring, doing everything right to secure what should have been a clear victory over an Indonesian boxing veteran in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
But the judges seemed to see a different fight.
In a stunning twist, they handed a 3-2 split decision to Hasanah Huswatun, eliminating Petecio in the women’s lightwelterweight 63kg semifinals, Saturday at the Chulalongkorn University Sports Center in Bangkok, Thailand.
Petecio, making her debut in the 63kg division, showed the speed, timing, and precision that earned her a Tokyo Olympic silver, a Paris Olympic bronze, and a world championship.
Yet all her efforts were overshadowed as the judges awarded the win to Huswatun, a 2018 Asian Games bronze medalist.
“Lagi kong nirerespeto ang decision ng judges, pero kita naman sa laro. Kahit ako, alam ko lamang ako don,” Petecio said, visibly frustrated but composed, unable to comprehend the judges’ verdict.
The 33-year-old will now settle for a bronze in her seventh SEA Games appearance, while Huswatun advances to the finals against Thailand’s Thananya Somnuek, who drew a bye straight to the gold medal bout.
(C) POC Media
Fortunately, the Philippine boxing team had Flint Jara to salvage the day.
The men’s bantamweight pug overcame a cut from a headbutt, which left him bleeding, and held on for a split decision victory over Indonesia’s Flanuari Yerikho Daud in the 54kg quarterfinals.
“Nahirapan ako sa kalaban. Ayaw ko pa naman ng ganong style, yung tumatakbo,” Jara admitted, recalling his struggle to figure out his opponent’s tactics.
He credited his corner for helping him adjust after losing the first round.
The Bago City, Negros Occidental native, who was the lone Filipino gold medalist at last September’s 2025 Belt and Road International Boxing Tournament in Xinjiang, China, now moves on to the semifinals against Singapore’s Ang Jin Yang.
