Eumir Marcial to put full focus on Asian Games, Olympic dream

Filipino boxer Eumir Marcial has postponed his professional career to focus solely on his campaign in the Asian Games this September as well as his pursuit of an Olympic gold medal in Paris next year.

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino bared that Marcial was supposed to figure in a professional fight later this month but decided to not participate after the match was rescheduled to September, which will run concurrently with the Asiad.

Marcial, instead, will put his focus on the Asian Games alone as it will serve as a qualifier to the Paris Olympics.

The 27-year-old pug, who's currently in the United States, is tipped to return to the Philippines soon and join the national team's training camp in Australia starting on September 1.

“Eumir will be coming home from the US as soon as possible to join the national boxing team and work on his Australian visa,” Tolentino said in a statement.

Marcial, who missed the 32nd SEA Games last May due to an injury, will compete in the 81-kilogram category as his original weight class of 71-kg was not included in the Asian Games' program.

Marcial will need to reach the final round to clinch an Olympic berth as the Asian Games organizers decided to scratch the traditional semifinals cut-off. But Marcial is up for the challenge as he looks to cop the Olympic gold medal.

“It’s now or never,” said the 27-year-old boxer from Zamboanga City, who’s unbeaten in four pro fights.

Marcial bagged a bronze medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo after falling to Oleksandr Khyzhniak of Ukraine in the semifinals of their division.

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News