IN HIS much-awaited Olympic debut, the Philippines’ Eumir Marcial quickly dispatched Algerian Younes Nemouchi in one round via technical stoppage in their round of 16 bout. The two boxers competed in the men’s middleweight division of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held at the Kokugikan Arena earlier today.
Marcial–one of the Philippines’ Olympic flag-bearers–automatically qualified for the round of 16 after he earned a bye from the International Boxing Association due to his top 4 Olympic ranking.
The three-time Southeast Asian Games games gold medalist Marcial immediately proceeded to unleash a flurry of punches in the opening round, eventually connecting with an overhand right hook that floored Nemouchi midway through the round.
As Nemouchi got back up, the Zamboanga native Marcial kept the pressure and stayed aggressive. With Marcial continuing to land significant punches, a cut above the Algerian’s eye ultimately led the referee to stop the bout with 19 seconds left in the first round, handing the win to the Filipino.
With his masterful performance, Marcial—who recently entered professional boxing—is a win away from securing at least a bronze medal. His next foe is Armenia’s Arman Darchinyan in the middleweight quarterfinals on August 1, 11:36 AM Manila Time, at the Kokugikan Arena.
Magno ends 2020 Olympic stint
Representing her nation in the women’s featherweight round of 16 of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Filipino boxer Irish Magno was defeated by Thailand’s Jutamas Jitpong earlier today at the Kokugikan Arena. Magno lost the bout via unanimous decision, with all five judges scoring the match 27-30, 27-30, 27-30, 28-29, 27-30 in favor of Jitpong.
The first round saw both fighters maintain a defensive distance from each other in an attempt to create striking opportunities. Although Magno was able to successfully land various punches, Jitpong connected cleaner blows—winning her a perfect score for all judges in the match’s opening round.
Entering the second round, Magno and Jitpong both adopted more aggressive fighting styles after the contenders had acquired a feel for each other’s style of play. Magno attempted to land measured combinations on her opponent, but Jitpong’s height and reach advantage allowed her to effectively keep herself out of the Filipino boxer’s reach. As a result, all five judges favored the Thai fighter in round two given her defensive effectiveness and her continued clean and direct shots.
Despite Magno’s valiant efforts in her attempt to steal the victory in round three, Magno was still at a disadvantage as Jitpong continued to dictate the pace. With Jitpong bouncing in and out the pocket after connecting polished jabs, Magno was unable to gain the edge over her opponent. Although Magno bested the Thailand boxer in the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games semifinals, their Olympic rematch had Jitpong as the unanimous winner. Following the match, Jitpong advances to the flyweight quarterfinals, while Magno ends her run in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
