ATHLETE PROFILE | Eumir Marcial eager to fulfill childhood dream in Tokyo Olympics

July 18, 2021 , 07:21 PM

By Paolo Mariano

(July 18, 2021) – The sun was still shaking off the slumber, with the downcast sky slowly clearing up and the early morning breeze begrudgingly starting to retreat.

Eumir Marcial, wearing a blue Pilipinas training gear, entered an empty, musky, humid boxing gym at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. Boxing gloves, hand wraps, metal plates, and sweat stains were strewn all over—a familiar sight in a den of warriors.

But he was alone. An artist honing his craft.

Marcial was preparing for the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, where he was a cinch to win the gold medal. He was focused on the current task, as he intently hit the punching bag and gracefully shadowboxed. But he was also thinking of a bigger dream, an oasis that formed during his hardscrabble childhood.

“Gusto ko talaga lumaban sa Olympics. ‘Yun talaga ang goal ko sa buhay,” said Marcial. “Ang sarap mabuhay na may pangarap ka.”

The soft-spoken boxer, like many Filipino fighters who came before him, had to scrap his way to the top. Born in Lunzuran, Zamboanga City, Marcial learned boxing from his father. They would walk miles just to train and then trudge the same path on their way back—exhaustion only a figment of the mind.

“Dami namin pinagdaanan ng papa ko. Naglalakad kami araw-araw. Minsan sumasabit sa jeep. Dahil sa hirap wala rin kaming pagkain habang nag-eensayo, tubig lang,” said Marcial. “Pero ‘yun nagpalakas sa’kin.”

Today, with a third SEA Games gold medal to boot, what seemed like wishful thinking has become a proud reality for Marcial. He’s set to compete in the Tokyo Olympics, with many tagging him as one of the country’s best bets to take home a medal.

A silver medalist in the 2019 World Boxing Championships, Marcial possesses agility, strength, and durability to combat the world’s best pugilists. His ample experience on the international stage, despite being only 25 years old, should bode well for him in the Summer Games.

But the journey wasn’t without tribulations for Marcial, who fell short in qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics. He ruffled some feathers when he turned professional in July 2020, just a few months after advancing to the Tokyo Olympics by topping the Asia-Oceania Qualifying Tournament. He assured that his commitment to the country remains.

“Gaya ng aking naipangako, ibibigay ko ang lahat ng aking makakaya para makuha ang minimithi natin na Olympic gold medal at maging isang boxing world champion,” said Marcial in a Facebook post.

Last October, he called out local officials in hopes of getting more financial support—a familiar refrain among Filipino athletes—in gearing up for the Tokyo Olympics. Like a vicious flurry of punches, he got pummeled by criticisms.

Then last May, despite being the top seed, Marcial lost in the Asian Elite Championships, with the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines calling it a “wake-up call.”

Well, Marcial is no stranger to wake-up calls—extra early or not—and he knows how to absorb pain. He has dusted off the past issues as if bursting out of his corner—bruised but bold—eager to go into the next round.

Besides, all the early morning training, long treks with his father, and battling naysayers have prepared him for the biggest challenge of his career.

“Dati nag-uusap kami ng papa ko, ‘Pa, paano kaya kapag naging national team ako? Paano kaya kapag nag-Olympic gold ako?’ Para umanagat konti buhay namin,” said Marcial, who’ll serve as flagbearer of the Philippines along with judoka Kiyomi Watanabe. “Nagbunga naman ‘yung pagsasakripisyo.”

Boxing is a sport of solitude. Mostly, it’s the fighter against himself—not the opponent. How much abuse can the body endure? How deep can the mind go? How willing is the spirit? The warrior is left to fend for oneself.

But when Marcial steps inside the ring in the Tokyo Olympics, it wouldn’t feel like he’s alone. More than 110 million Filipinos will be punching along with him.

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