Boxer Eumir Marcial almost gave up on his dream to win for the Philippines’ first Olympic gold in boxing.
The 27-year-old Air Force sergeant was already preparing for the qualification tournaments for the Summer Games scheduled in Paris next year when it was announced that the 75-kilogram category, where Marcial won a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics 2022 (the Games were actually held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), has been removed from the quadrennial games.
“I already lost hope. I was already focusing on my professional career,” Marcial told OneSport after winning his semifinals match at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. “My division was no longer in the Olympics. I told myself that the Olympics might not be for me,” he added.
But with the prodding of his wife and supporters, Marcial decided to move up in weight and compete in the 80-kg class at the ongoing Asian Games, uncertain whether he would have the power and speed to go toe-to-toe with heavier and often bigger opponents in the light heavyweight division.
Marcial appeared to have enough muscle behind his punches as he knocked out Thailand’s Weerapon JongJoho in last Sunday’s quarterfinals match, which assured him of a bronze, and arrange a semifinals meeting with Ahmad Ghousoon, who was the flag bearer for Syria during the Asia Games’ opening ceremonies.
Marcial, however, took a standing 8 count after getting tagged early in that quarterfinals match.
The Filipino southpaw squared off with Ghousoon on Wednesday, with a guaranteed silver and automatic qualification in the Paris Olympics at stake.
Marcial and Ghousoon brawled in the first round, with the Filipino winning in three of the five judges score card. It was a different story in the second quarter, when Marcial quickly ended the match with a crisp right hook that caught the Syrian boxer squarely on the jaw.
“The Lord guided me. He put me here. I know he led me here to qualify for the Olympics,” said Marcial, his voice almost breaking as he fought off tears of joy.
Marcial will fight for the gold on Thursday against China’s Tuohetaerbieke Tanglatihan, a silver medalist in the World Boxing Championships in May.
The last time boxing delivered an Asian Games gold medal for the Philippines was in 2010, courtesy of flyweight Rey Saludar. No Filipino boxer has medaled in the light heavyweight division.
