Eumir Marcial says right hook to knock out Armenian foe was unexpected

Even Eumir Marcial was surprised with his right hook that knocked out Armenia's Arman Darchinyan.

“Right hook ko ang naka-knockout sa kanya. Hindi ko rin ine-expect ‘yung suntok na ‘yun," Marcial said after his win in the men's middleweight quarterfinals.

"Basta ‘yung akin lang, bitaw lang ako ng suntok at ito naman ang pinag-ensayuhan namin, kaya nagkaroon na ng muscle memory na automatic na ‘yung katawan na sumusuntok at gumagalaw. Lahat po ‘yun nakuha namin sa training at talagang pinaghandaan po namin ito."

Marcial will face Ukraine's Oleksandr Khyzhniak in the semifinals and he said he is confident for the upcoming fight.

"Ready po ako sa laban na ito," said Marcial about his next fight with former foe Khyzniak.

Marcial and Khyzniak previously faced each other in 2018.

"During nu’ng laban namin, na-injured ako, kaya natalo ako. Sa pakiramdam ko, kundisyon na kundisyon ako ngayon."

With Marcial's win against Darchinyan, he is already guaranteed of at least a bronze medal. This gives the Philippines at least three medals in the Tokyo Olympics.

—Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA News