(UPDATE) FILIPINO female boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas are on the cusp of qualifying for the Paris Olympics after scoring separate wins in the 2024 1st World Qualification Tournament in Busto Arsizio, Italy.

Petecio, a Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, moved one win away from an Olympics return as she topped Maud van der Toorn of the Netherlands via unanimous decision in the women's 57kg quarterfinals.

Petecio must beat Esra Yildiz of Turkey in the semifinals also early Tuesday (Manila time) to make the Paris Games.

Only the finalists in the women's 57kg will progress to the Olympics.

On the other hand, Villegas defeated Sofie Rosshaug of Denmark via unanimous decision to reach the quarterfinals of the women's 50kg on Sunday, March 10.

A win by Villegas in the quarterfinals against Zlatislava Chukanova of Bulgaria early Tuesday, March 12 (Manila time) will punch her ticket to the Olympics.

The top four boxers in the women's 50kg division will advance to the Paris Games.

Petecio's fellow Olympic silver medalist Carlo Paalam, however, bowed out of the tournament after yielding to Kiaran MacDonald of Great Britain in the men's 57kg round of 16 early Tuesday.

Paalam could not finish the fight as he suffered an apparent shoulder injury with under a minute left in the second round.

Paalam still has a chance to qualify for the Paris Games in the 2nd World Qualification Tournament in May.

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