AIRA'S BRONZE FEELS LIKE GOLD

FORMER PEANUT VENDOR PUNCHING WAY OUT OF POVERTY

- NELSON BELTRAN

Aira Villegas’ journey in the 2024 Olympics ended in a semifinal windup.

No gold, no silver, but she had played her part in Team Philippines’ memorable, historic ride – her bronze feat to be celebrated and looked upon by the next generations of Filipino Olympic medal hopefuls.

Villegas’ Cinderella run as a neophyte Olympian came to an end at the hands of bemedaled Turkish fighter Buse Naz Cakiroglu, a former world champion and the Tokyo Games silver winner who dazzled her way to a unanimous 5-0 victory before a packed crowd at Court Philippe Chatrier inside Roland Garros.

“Talagang magaling, mas technical,” said Villegas of her opponent, also her conqueror in a quarterfinals bout in the 2022 World Championship.

Overwhelmed and beaten, Villegas settled for the bronze but vowed her journey as a boxer isn’t stopping in her semis finish in the Paris Games.

“Syempre po sa future trabaho pa rin. Hindi natatapos dito ang lahat,” said Villegas, from a family of boxers in Tacloban, Leyte.