Marcial to accept best deal for him to turn pro
By Eddie Alinea of The Manila Times
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 26 May 2020
Eumir Marcial.
From the time Filipino middleweight Olympic qualifier Eumir Felix Marcial earned his ticket to the re-scheduled Tokyo Summer Games, he had been working in a makeshift gym inside his home all by himself.
Each day, he’s been shadow-boxing, doing exercises, push ups, in the hope of keeping in shape. But wait, is he not suppose to be preparing for the bigger battle he’s facing a little more than a year from now, which is the Olympic Games?
He, in other words, should be training hard, not in his home but in a training center along with his coaches, trainers and everybody tasked with preparing him and with complete equipment, not with improvised heavy bag, and balls.
On Friday, in a one-on-one talk with this writer by phone, the 24-year-old Zamboangueno confessed he felt he might lose whatever he had gained in years of trying to compete in the Olympics until he finally made it.
Marcial, likewise, admitted that with what is happening he is more inclined now to consider one of the numerous offers for him to turn professional, especially now that the International Olympic Committee has given him the go-signal to compete in the Olympics as a pro.
“People told me to clear from IOC kung puwede nga ako lumaban sa Olympics kahit pro. Ok daw sabi ng IOC,“ he narrated in reference to a text message sent to his camp a few weeks ago in answer to an inquiry they made.
“Marami rin ako nabalitaan, nabasa na mga stories ng mga professional boxing champions na sumikat, yumaman pero sa huli halos ubos ang pera nila. Madalas iisa ang dahilan, nagkaproblema sa taxes nila,” he said.
“So kumunsulta ako last Wednesday sa isang tax expert, si Atty. Jesus Clint Aranas, who happened to be a national sport association president and a POC board member at pinaliwanag niya sa akin lahat ng requirement kung paano hindi magkaka-utang sa buwis,” Marcial related.
“Yun lang naman ang gusto ko iwasan at mapag-aralan kung paano ang taxation kapag nag-professional na po ako. Habang maaga, maging pamilyar na ako para walang hassles sa mga obligasyon ko sa tax. By the way pro bono po and serbisyo ni Atty. Clint, kaya no regret ako sa pagpili ko sa kanya na tulungan ako,” he said.
“It’s been nearly three months since I qualified and ang kinatatakot ko, baka I become stale. Stagnant. Three months, that’s already a long rest for me who’s preparing for the Olympics,” Marcial bemoaned.
Marcial qualified to the Olympics last March 8 yet after topping nthe 75 kilogfram category during the Asia-Oceania Olympic Qialifier held in Amman, Jordan.
I’m not blaming anybody naman. Wala namang may kasalanan na madamay tayo sa Covid-19 pandemic na ito,” Marcial said. “But what I’m saying is, dapat naman may planong ipinatutipad na ngayon pa lang.”
“Our leaders have been calling us athletes, na dapat laging nasa kondisyon para pag inalis ang lockdown, sabak na kami sa ensayo,” he said. “Pero saan kami pupunta para magpa-kondisyon? “Sarado lahat ng training center natin.”
Marcial disclosed that last Friday, he had a conversation with Alliance of Boxing Associations of the Philippines (ABAP) secretary general Ed Picson, who told him he, together with his father and fiancée and ABAP president Ricky Vargas will meet next week to talk about his training problems and his plan to turn pro.
“Ako naman maliwanag ang stand ko noon pang una, hindi ko nakakalimutan at hinding-hindi ko makakalimutan ang pangako ko sa Tatay ko at sa lahat ng mga kababayan natin that I’ll do my best to give our country its first Olympic god medal,” he reiterated. “Sana when we meet next week, may plano na para makapag-ensayo na ako ng seryoso.”
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea of The Manila Times.
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