Filipino boxer Eumir Marcial celebrates after winning the gold medal match in the men's light-heavyweight division in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, December 19, 2025 at the Chulalongkorn University Sports Center in Bangkok, Thailand. POC Media
(UPDATED) Eumir Marcial made sure that the Philippine boxing team will go home with a gold medal from the 2025 Southeast Asian Games.
Marcial defeated Indonesia's Maikhel Roberrd Muskita via split decision in the final of the men's light heavyweight, Friday evening at the Chulalongkorn University Sports Center in Bangkok, Thailand.
A busy third round clinched the win for Marcial, with four judges eventually scoring the bout in his favor.
This is Marcial's fifth SEA Games gold medal in his career, having dominated at the regional level since making his debut in the 2015 edition in Singapore.
It also salvaged the Philippine boxing team's campaign in Bangkok, after three boxers faltered against Thai opponents in their gold medal matches.
Flint Jara, Jay Bryan Baricuatro, and Aira Villegas all settled for silver medals, to add to the six bronzes that other Filipino boxers have already claimed earlier in the biennial competition.
"Medyo kinakabahan pero kumpiyansa po ako. Tinatanong ko sa coaches ko, alam nila na panalo ako," Marcial told the POC Media after his win.
The match was up for grabs after the second round, with scores showing an even split between the two fighters.
But Marcial got the nod with an aggressive performance in the third round, where he repeatedly went to the body of Muskita while evading his foe's attempts at counter-punches.
Afterward, Marcial was in a celebratory mood and saw his SEA Games win as fuel for future competitions -- including possibly the 2028 Olympics Games in Los Angeles.
"Na-defend natin 'yung gold medal. Hindi ko hanggang saan pa 'yung pagod ko pero patuloy po ako hanggang makuha ko 'yung gold medal sa LA Olympics," he said.
Marcial was a bronze medalist in the pandemic-delayed Summer Games in Tokyo in 2022, but was shut out of the podium in Paris 2024.