BANGKOK — Eumir Marcial raised his fists as the bout ended — not only as a celebration of his victory but also a symbol of relief for Philippine boxers who, for the entire week, have been battered by questionable decisions and unfair judgment.
The Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist finally ended the string of futility for Pinoy pugs, taking down Maikhel Muskita of Indonesia 4-1 and bagging the gold medal in the men’s 80kg final of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games at the Chulalongkorn University Sports Center on Friday.
The gold medal was Marcia’s fifth overall and enabled the Philippine team to end the competition with one gold, three silvers and six bronzes.
With both fighters tied after two rounds, Marcial went for the kill in the final frame, hurting the Indonesian with a big right that put him on the ropes.
The 30-year-old Marcial followed it up with a barrage of punches that proved to be the deciding point for the precious mint and helped the PH boxing team avoid a gold-less campaign here.
“Di ko inie-expect talagaa. Di ko inaasahan na makasali ako dito at makuha ko iyong ika-limang gold medal ko sa SEA Games. Di lang to para sa akin. Para sa buong bayan ito at sa Philippine boxing team, para sa amin po itong lahat,” he said.
Marcial’s victory avenged the earlier painful losses of Aira Villegas, Jay Brian Baricuatro and Flint Jara, who all settled for silvers after tough breaks against Thai foes.
