Naulit ang nangyari kay 'Onyok' kay Nesthy Petecio

ni Gerard Arce - @Sports | August 04, 2021

Tila ang bangungot ng nakaraan ay muling naulit sa kasalukuyan. Matapos ang 25-taon ay napantayan ng 29-anyos na si Nesthy Petecio ng Davao del Sur ang nakamit na pilak na medalya nina Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco noong 1996 Atlanta Olympics at ikalawang silver medal mula kay Anthony Villanueva noong 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

“Naulit na naman ang nangyari sa younger brother ko, kay Onyok!” bulalas ni 1992 Barcelona Olympics bronze medalist at national team coach Roel Velasco sa panayam ng Bulgar Sports sa online interview. “Pumabor talaga sa hometown favorite. Kahit may bad tactics ang Japanese boxer. Panalo tayo dun,” dagdag ng nakatatandang kapatid ni Onyok.

Ito rin ang tila naging sentimyento ni Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) President Ricky Vargas sa naging kinalabasan ng desisyon ng mga hurado matapos ang laban.

“How can it be unanimous? I hate to call it like that because we are in sports, but it looks like a hometown treatment. Naging wrestling eh,” pagtatanong ni Vargas sa panayam ni dating PBA commissioner Atty. Noli Eala sa programa ng TV5. “Anyway, that should not diminish what Nesthy has done and made in the Olympics. Still, Nesthy you are our Gold!”

Hindi rin nakalampas ang ginawang mga desisyon sa loob ng ring ng referee na si Susan Kopke ng Germany na tila hinayaan ang mga ginagawang pangyayakap at maling ginagawa ng Japanese boxer. “I think she gave the benefit of the doubt to the Japanese, and let the Japanese do her thing,” wika ni Vargas, kung saan ipinagtaka rin ni ABAP secretary-general Ed Picson ang diskarteng ginawa ni Irie laban kay Petecio na bago ang championship round ay tatlong beses ng nagkaharap sa 2019 ASBC Boxing Championship, 2019 AIBA Worlds at 2020 Olympic Qualifying Tournament na nagresulta sa 2-1 pabor sa Hapon.

“Not that I can remember (that) she’s doing that thing (pagyakap) on their previous matches. I see her as very tricky and sneaky. It’s something new that she ties up always to Nesthy all the time to stop the rhythm of Nesthy’s attacks. She (Irie) had an edge on 1st round, but It was turn around in 2nd round for Nesthy and winning the last round for Nesthy,” paliwanag ni Picson.