DEsc: Eumir Marcial is one of the athletes who are set to represent the Philippines in the 2021 summer games. The boxer has shown great talent and many are hoping he will carry the flag high bringing home the elusive gold medal. This article explores his journey to Tokyo Japan in 2021.

Starting 23rd July to 8th August 2021, Tokyo Japan will play host to a major sporting event, the Olympics. The event was originally planned to take place in 2020 but the COVID 19 Pandemic put a halt to many activities including international sporting events. Boxing is one of the competitions that will be held in this prestigious competition and The Philippines being one of the powerhouses for this high contact game will field a candidate. To any betting enthusiast checking on the Philippines betting sites that offer boxing bets and doing it early will allow participating both as a fan and better.

Filipino middleweight boxer Eumir Marcial will be flying the Philippines flag high in the tournament. With his good performance in the last few years, many are expecting him to give boxers in his category, a run for their money. Although his road to the Olympic medal being littered with landmines, the boxer is up to the task. 

Qualification

Marcial’s journey to the Tokyo Olympics gained energy when he made it to the semifinals of the Asia Oceania Olympics Qualifiers which were held in Amman Jordan. His qualification made him the third Filipino athlete to qualify for the summer games after pole vault and gymnastics champions EJ Obiena and Carlos Yulo respectively qualified.

Fighting against Byamba Erdene of Mongolia, Marcial closed the round by drilling several lefts and powerful hooks before the stoppage of the contest, forty-five seconds to the end. This was a big win for the boxer; he could not hide his excitement as he knelt to celebrate the win that everyone was waiting for.

Although the Philippines had a successful boxing profile, the country has not had a notable boxer like Marcial. He joins the class of Ceferino Garcia the 1930s middleweight champion in terms of success and his pounding prowess. The Zamboanga City resident is making waves at home and in the country at large. He has grown to one hundred and sixty pounders, right from the 114 amateur who won the junior world championships in 2019. His Olympic qualification campaign was stronger than any competition that he has ever participated in before. 

To a majority of the boxing fans and Filipinos at large, Marcial is a good bet for the elusive gold medal. He has already proved that he can knock out some of the big names in the middleweight championship. His successful capture of the Olympic gold medal in his category would make Filipinos very proud. However, this pride would not match his father’s happiness having fulfilled the dream of the person who has been training him since the age of six.

The qualification for the world’s prestigious event renewed his faith. He had lost hope and was about to hang the gloves. He felt that he needed to concentrate on his Air Force career after he failed to qualify for the previous Olympics. His fellow airmen would not hear anything of it, they encouraged him to try, reminding him of the potential that lies within him as well as the immense talent in his possession. This is the same faith that his fans and countrymen had in him. They also encouraged Marcial to build his career further. It seems he has heeded the advice as the improvement is notable, both by the courage he shows in his games as well as the form he has been portraying in the recent past.

Training for Tokyo 

Marcial star is bright, the future holds; after Olympics, the championships await, and given the kind of performance that he has shown in the qualifiers, he is the man to beat. He is not sitting pretty; already he has enrolled the help of Jerwin Ancajas in his quest to win the gold medal. The two worked together in America where Marcial was training. Ancajas is the current IBF junior bantamweight champion. 

Ancajas strongly believes that his friend is the candidate to beat. His domination of the middleweight category in the South East Asia region gives him confidence that he is up to any challenge that may come his way. Marcial is also set to join the national boxing team in Thailand as he continues with training.

Also, the boxing federation is exploring other options after the rescheduling of the continent boxing tournament which was to take place in India. This event would have also helped Marcial prepare adequately for the Tokyo games. Dubai may be the place where Marcial may move his training as the big event draws closer. US training center in Colorado Springs will also host the boxer along with other Tokyo-bound athletes.

Dubai performance

Although Marcial had what the Association of Boxing Alliance described as a “heartbreaking performance”, the boxer remains confident that he will do his best for the glory of his country. The fact that he was beaten by Saidjamshid Jafarov a middleweight who failed in the Tokyo qualification, may be seen by pessimists as a pointer of things to come. One thing that can be picked from the Dubai tournament is that the middleweight boxer has learned from the mistakes which kept him from qualifying and now he is in good form. Although the win would have given Marcial some confidence to face the opponents in Tokyo it should be noted that the competition did not mean much to him since he has his eyes set on the ball, winning the Gold Medal. 

On a positive note, the Dubai tournament saw the rise of other Filipino boxers; Magno, Paalam, and Petecio, the other boxers who are participating in the Tokyo event. The “win”, as described by the boxing official, is a pointer that the Philippines team is strong- both for the Olympics and upcoming tournaments. It is expected that other boxers will also be joining Marcial in Colorado for the multi-nation training.

Come Olympics, the whole of Philippines will be rallying behind their champion. Marcial is confident that he will deliver the much-awaited victory. He is also looking forward to future events.