SEA Games: Olympians Eumir Marcial, Aira Villegas advance to boxing finals

Olympians Eumir Marcial and Aira Villegas punched their way to the 2025 SEA Games boxing finals after taking down their respective semifinals foes on Wednesday in Thailand. 

Marcial, a bronze medalist in the Tokyo Olympics four years ago, posted a decisive victory after knocking out Manh Cuong Nguyen of Vietnam to advance to the men's 80kg finals. 

The 30-year-old pugilist capitalized on an opening, unleashing a crushing right hook to Nguyen’s face that sent the Vietnamese fighter to the floor late in the second round and sealed the victory.

Meanwhile, Villegas, who captured a bronze medal during the Paris Olympics, scored a unanimous decision against Moe Thu Mya of Myanmar to also clinch a finals berth in the women's 50kg division. 

Marcial and Villegas became the third and fourth Filipino boxers to make it to the gold medal round after Jay Bryan Baricuatro and Flint Jara.
 
Baricuatro defeated Nicolau Hau Da Silva antonio of Timor Leste via a referee stoppage in Round 1 during their semifinals bout  in the men's 48kg category while Jara had a unanimous win over Singapore's Jin Yang Ang in the men's 54kg division. 

Marcial will face Indonesia's Maikhel Roberrd Muskita in the finals as he seeks his fifth SEA Games gold medal while Villegas will take on hometown bet Chuthamar Raksat in the championship. 

Baricuatro will slug it out with Laos' Khamphouvanh Khamsathone next while Jara will face Malaysian fighter Mohamad Rizal Wahidi. 

All boxing finals are slated on Friday, December 19, at the Chulalongkorn University Sports Center in Bangkok, Thailand. 

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News