Eumir’s journey to Tokyo
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 19 May 2021
Marcial (L) in Zamboanga.
With two months to go before the start of the Tokyo Olympics, middleweight boxing qualifier Eumir Marcial finds himself embroiled in a media brouhaha where he’s portrayed----rightly or wrongly----as a victim left virtually on his own to support his campaign for the country’s first gold medal. There has to be some misunderstanding in the way Marcial, ABAP, PSC and MP Promotions are involved in this mess. First of all, they’re not on divergent paths. Their common goal is to conquer Tokyo but as the clock ticks to count down the days, maybe they’re all feeling the pressure. Now isn’t the time to cast aspersions. Now is the time to come together, regroup and lock arms.
This Friday, Marcial is set to leave for Dubai with ABAP sports psychologist Marcus Manalo and he’ll warm up for Tokyo by competing in the Asian Elite Championships starting Monday. ABAP secretary-general Ed Picson said Marcial, who’s now in Zamboanga, sent his passport by air cargo the other day. He’s been issued his travel papers for Dubai but the plan is to join the ABAP training pool in Thailand after the tournament and his Thai visa is still under process. “It takes five days to process a visa application with the Thai Embassy,” said Picson. “Hopefully, we’ll get his visa before he leaves on Friday.” Marcial arrives in Manila from Zamboanga tomorrow. No quarantine is required in Dubai so Marcial will be ready for action when the competition reels off.
Marcial is the only Olympic qualifier among eight Filipinos battling in Dubai. The other qualifiers Carlo Paalam, Nesthy Petecio and Irish Magno are training in Thailand. It’ll be a gauge of Marcial’s preparedness for Tokyo after spending six months in the US, training with coach Freddie Roach and sparring with a slew of hard knockers. Whatever kinks crop up will be ironed out when Marcial reunites with the national pool and coaching staff in Thailand. In Zamboanga, he’s in good hands with coach Joven Jimenez, IBF superflyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas and ABAP coach Jerson Nietes watching over his workouts under Junnie Navarro’s care.
In the latest Olympic world rankings, Marcial is the No. 1 middleweight. Algeria’s Younes Nemouchi is No. 2, Kazakhstan’s Abilkhan Amankul No. 3 and Russia’s Gleb Bakshi and Uganda’s David Semujju are tied at No. 4. Four of the five have qualified for Tokyo except for Bakshi who’ll try to make it out of the Europe qualifiers. Bakshi outpointed Marcial, 5-0, in the middleweight final of the 2019 AIBA World Championships in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
Marcial said he’s confident his power will make his Olympic dream come true. “When the fight starts and I start hitting them, they change,” he said, quoted by John Dennen in the London weekly magazine Boxing News. “That’s my gift. I think my power is my gift. I want to make my father (Eulalio) happy while he’s still here in this world. All my cousins, my brothers, he taught boxing to become an Olympic champion. He worked hard. He put all his life into boxing even without a salary. The pressure, I use that for motivation. The pressure’s already there. I’m going to absorb that but I’m not going to lose my focus. My family’s a very poor family, a simple family. In my province, we’re not rich, we’re poor but we’re a very close family. We’re helping each other. Someday, I’m going to give them a beautiful life, a happy life, simple but happy. That gives me motivation, every day in my training.”
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Ennis vs Stanionis: Jaron Laces Up His Boots for a Battle in Atlantic City
By Chris Carlson, Sat, 12 Apr 2025Ennis and Stanionis Hit the Scales Ahead of Saturday's Welterweight Title Clash
Sat, 12 Apr 2025Full Fight Card Announced for Sanman Boxing Show Featuring Marlon Tapales on April 27
Sat, 12 Apr 2025TONIGHTS Roy Jones Jr Card Weighin Results
Sat, 12 Apr 20252025 PHILRACOM ROAD TO TRIPLE CROWN
Sat, 12 Apr 2025Haven for Pinoy boxers
By Joaquin Henson, Fri, 11 Apr 2025WEIGHTS FROM FISTS OF FURY 6 AT SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO HOLLYWOOD, IN HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA
Fri, 11 Apr 2025Golden State Warriors Shoot Selves on Foot, Lose to Wembanyama-less Spurs, 114-111
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Fri, 11 Apr 2025IIEE-PSME Quezon City wins three in a row in PCAP All-Filipino Cup
By Marlon Bernardino, Fri, 11 Apr 2025FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES FOR BOOTS VS. STANIONIS IN ATLANTIC CITY
Fri, 11 Apr 2025Ramon Cardenas: “Undisputed Is The Ultimate Prize”
Fri, 11 Apr 2025Marco “El Tiburón” Romero returns to Denver this Saturday for another Rocky Mountain High
Fri, 11 Apr 2025Canadian super lightweight prospect Eric Basran Ready to make a statement competing in inaugural Riyadh Season/WBC Boxing Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia
Fri, 11 Apr 2025HALL OF FAME FLIES FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF FOR TRAINER KENNY ADAMS
Fri, 11 Apr 2025SALITA PROMOTIONS SIGNS REIGNING WBC SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION FRANCHÓN CREWS-DEZURN TO A MULTI-FIGHT DEAL
Fri, 11 Apr 2025