Nesthy Petecio and other Filipino boxers get another chance to chase Olympic glory after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) granted World Boxing a provisional recognition that put it a step closer from organizing the sport in the next Summer Games in 2028.

Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP) secretary general Marcus Manalo told DAILY TRIBUNE that the latest development pumped life into the hopes of Filipino boxers, who are determined to win their first Olympic gold medal when the United States organizes the Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028.

The existence of amateur boxing in the Olympics has been in the ropes due to various controversies ranging from gambling, match-fixing and discrimination.

With that, the IOC expelled the Kremlin-backed International Boxing Association, prompting it to organize the sport in the past two editions of the Summer Games in Tokyo in 2021 and Paris last year.

The IOC scratched boxing from its roster of sports in the Los Angeles Games unless the national federations find a “new and reliable partner” that will take the lead in organizing the sport.

A total of 78 countries, including the Philippines, assembled World Boxing in a bid to save the sport from being completely dropped from the Olympics.

Recently, World Boxing, which is headed by Boris van der Vorst of the Netherlands, was formally granted provisional recognition by the IOC, putting boxing a step closer from being held in the Summer Games.

“It’s also important to note that this IOC decision is just at the executive board level, the real and final vote will be by the General Assembly/IOC session on 20 March but this is a huge step already. Hopefully, 20 March is just a matter of formality. Boxing is one step closer to its return to the Olympics,” Manalo said.

“This has been years in the making. Even before the formation of World Boxing, ABAP, through the efforts of our late president Ed Picson, has been involved along with like-minded national federations who are seeking change in Olympic boxing.”

Despite serving as a source of medals in the Summer Games, the Filipinos have never won a gold medal in boxing.

The closest they got was when Anthony Villanueva, Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco and Petecio settled for silver medals in the 1964 Tokyo, 1996 Atlanta and 2021 Tokyo editions of the Summer Games.

In the most recent Olympics, Petecio and Aira Villegas were the only Filipino boxers to reach the podium after clinching a bronze medal each.

Petecio said the possible inclusion of boxing in the Summer Games revived her hopes of becoming the third Filipino Olympic gold medalist.

“We know that it’s going to be a tough year for us but with hard work and determination, we were able to pull it off and win an Olympic medal for the country. Hopefully, there will be more to come,” Petecio said.

“I am very positive that boxing will be included in the LA Olympics. Given the chance, I will do my best to win the gold medal for our country.”

Petecio is bracing for a tough road back to the Olympics, starting with the World Championships, which will take place from 4-14 September in Liverpool, England and the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand from 9 to 20 December.

While she is hoping for boxing to be featured in the Summer Games, Petecio also wants to concentrate on her bouts for 2025.

“My target for this year is to be a world champion. Then, I want to defend my gold medal in the SEA Games. Those are my targets for this year,” Petecio said.

“For now, I’m not thinking about it. I still have three years for that, and I am an athlete focusing on the latest competition.”