Nesthy Petecio made a statement in her opening bout at the 2026 Asian Games, overwhelming Jordan’s Mays Alreem Abukhadijah en route to a referee stoppage in the second round of their women’s 60kg clash on Saturday at the Nishio Gymnasium in Japan.
The 34-year-old Filipino boxer forced two standing eight counts in the second round before the referee halted the fight with 1:51 remaining, sending Petecio through to the quarterfinals.
Petecio established control early, landing clean combinations in the opening round as all five judges scored the round in her favor.
Abukhadijah came out more aggressively in the second, but Petecio responded with greater pressure. She scored two standing eight counts within less than 40 seconds, prompting the referee to stop the contest.
The victory adds another milestone to Petecio’s decorated international career. She won an Olympic silver medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and a bronze at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Petecio became the second Filipino boxer to reach the quarterfinals of the Asian Games, following Carlo Paalam, who earlier defeated India’s Jadumani Singh Mandengbam by split decision.
