Paris 2024: Aira Villegas takes down Moroccan foe, advances to round-of-16 | ABS-CBN

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Paris 2024: Aira Villegas takes down Moroccan foe, advances to round-of-16

Paris 2024: Aira Villegas takes down Moroccan foe, advances to round-of-16

ABS-CBN News

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Aira Villegas of the Philippines during the 2019 SEA Games. Czar Dancel, ABS-CBN News/FileAira Villegas of the Philippines during the 2019 SEA Games. Czar Dancel, ABS-CBN News/File

Aira Villegas overcame a wobble in the second round to win by points against Yasmine Mouttaki of Morroco in the round-of-32 of the women's 50kg division in boxing, Sunday at the North Paris Arena (early Monday in Manila).

Villegas opened the Philippines' boxing campaign in the 2024 Paris Olympics and made sure that the country got off to a strong start.

All five judges ultimately scored the bout in favor of Villegas, though the Filipina did encounter some trouble in the second round after Mouttaki got into a rhythm and got the better of their exchanges.

Three judges had given the second round to Mouttaki, putting the fight in the balance in the third.

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But it was Villegas, making her Olympic debut, who landed the cleaner and more significant shots in the final round -- including a sharp left in the closing seconds. 

The Filipina got the nod of four of the five judges in the final round to secure her win.

Villegas will take on No. 2 seed Roumaysa Boualam of Algeria in the round-of-16 on August 1.

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