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Friday, March 29, 2024

Marcial grabs gold in Asia/Oceania tilt

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Tokyo Olympics-bound Eumir Marcial connected with mean body shots in the second round, and this earned him enough points to put away Abilkhan Amankul of Kazakhstan via a split decision victory on Wednesday evening in Amman, Jordan.

This earned the 24-year-old Marcial the middleweight crown in the 2020 Asia/Oceania boxing qualifying tournament.

According to livestream accounts, Marcial prevailed in a clash of fighting styles, Amankul was more flat-footed though physically strong.

The quicker Marcial, who was more fleet-footed and had faster hands, first weathered Amankul’s bid as the latter tried to get ahead with right handed attacks.

But, with Marcial adjusting by moving to the left, he takes the first round, 3-2.

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Then, after going all out with body shots in the second round, Marcial took the second, 3-2.

With Marcial landing with the harder shots, and hurting with his right jab, it no long mattered if he slipped and fell towards the close of the round, as the Filipino fighter was ahead on points in the third round.

“So very happy. Despite my struggle and my trials. Nothing is impossible to God,” said Marcial.

The Zamboanga City-born Marcial made it to the championship round after he hurdled Ashish Kumar of India via a split decision victory in their middleweight division semifinals.

His semifinal fight also almost had the same results, when Marcial got a standing eight-count following a left jab from Kumar in the third round but Marcial recovered.

The title win of Marcial was the icing on his qualification to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with women’s flyweight Irish Magno.

Magno, bowed out of contention in the round of 16, when she repulsed Tajikistan’s Sumaiya Qosimova via unanimous decision, 4-1, in the box-off.

There will now be four Filipinos who will go to the Tokyo Olympics.

This includes pole vaulter EJ Obiena and gymnast Carlos Yulo.

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