Asian Games: Marcial falls to Uzbek foe, takes home boxing bronze

Phillippines’ Eumir Felix Marcial, red, and Uzbekistan’s Israil Madrimov fight in their men’s middleweight boxing semifinal at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Aug. 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

It’s another bronze medal for the Philippines in boxing as Eumir Marcial lost to Uzbekistan’s Israil Madrimov via decision in the semifinals in the middleweight division in the 2018 Asian Games Friday at JIExpo in Jakarta.

Marcial’s bronze was the Philippines’ 15th of the kind and bumped the country’s medal tally to 20.

The loss, however, raised eyebrows with two judges awarding Marcial identical 28-27 marks while Madrimov earned three 28-27 cards from the other judges.

To make matters even more complicated, Marcial was able to score a standing 8-count in the third round.

Rogen Ladon is the remaining Filipino boxer who still has a chance at the gold medal when he takes on Madrimov’s compatriot Jasurbek Latipov in the flyweight final.