BAC NINH, Vietnam—Eumir Felix Marcial tries to put more emphasis on his lofty billing when he shoots for his fourth consecutive boxing gold medal at the 31st Southeast Asian Games.
Standing in the way of the Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist for the men’s middleweight title is Timor Leste’s Delio Anzaqeci Mouzinho in the men’s middleweight championship bout at the Bac Ninh Stadium.
Marcial vowed not to be complacent against the East Timores in their final set for Sunday.
“I can’t relax against anybody,” Marcial, 26 and now also a professional boxer, said. “I can’t put my guards down against my opponent.”
Marcial drew a bye and convincingly won his semifinal bout where he beat Peerapat Yeasungnoen of Thailand by referee stopped contest-second round on Thursday night at the Bac Ninh Stadium.
His goal remains: gold in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“I really need to bring home my fourth SEA Games gold, it’s very important to me, it’s my first stepping stone for the Paris Olympics,” he said.
He added: “I have to keep my focus and also avoid the crowd because there are some people who tested positive [of Covid-19] here,” Marcial added. “I would love to watch the other Filipino athletes as well, but I still have a job to do and that’s to win the gold.”
Rogen Ladon, the defending champion in the flyweight class, also guns for a gold medal against hometown bet Tran Van Thao after his split decision win over Thanarat Saengphet of Thailand in Thursday’s semifinal.
Lightweight James Palicte, who suffered an acid influx during the last round of their semifinals fight, lost to Indonesia’s Farrand Papendang to settle for a bronze medal.
Women’s light flyweight Josie Gabuco dropped a 1-4 majority decision to Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat also for a bronze medal.
Risa Pasuit suffered a stinging unanimous decision loss to a taller Vietnamese Vuong Thi Vy to end up with the bronze medal in women’s lightweight.