Eumir Marcial. Photo by Marc Reyes
SINGAPORE — The matching order was to go for the kill.
Eumir Marcial said the coaching staff’s instruction was to penetrate against Singapore’s Jia Wei Tay in their men’s welterweight boxing final.
“They said I’m fighting the host so I have to give it all. But I have to watch him also because he can punch,” said the 19-year-old Marcial who eventually stopped the hometown bet with a crushing left hook to the jaw.
READ: PH regains boxing supremacy with 5 golds in SEA Games
Tay didn’t bother to stand up anymore and the referee called in at 0:48 of second round.
The victory did not only give the Philippines its fifth gold in the tourney but also a was sweet revenge for Zamboanga City native.
Last year, Tay smashed Marcial’s cheekbone in their Lion’s Cup fight in Sri Lanka that sidelined Marcial for almost a year.
“I only returned to boxing last April,” said Marcial who is on his first SEA Games stint. CFC