Eumir Marcial is set for a homecoming fight this weekend as he continues his preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The Filipino Olympian, who is undefeated in four games in his professional boxing career, will be going up against Thailand’s Thoedsak Sinam at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila on Saturday, March 23.
And following this bout — which is for free admission — he will rejoin the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) as they ramp up their training for the Paris Games.
“He’s a qualified boxer, but he has contractual obligations as a professional, so he has to compete [first],” ABAP secretary-general Marcus Manalo said on Tuesday, March 19, during the Philippine Sportswriters Association in Manila.
Marcial became the first Filipino boxer to qualify for the Paris Games after making it to the finals of his weight division in the 19th Asian Games in September 2023.
Manalo revealed that their pool, which is headlined by Olympic-bound hitters Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas, as well as Carlo Paalam and Rogen Ladon, will be bound for the United States and Thailand next month for their camp, and joining them there is Marcial.
“After his professional fight, he will rejoin the national team to train for the Paris Olympics. Kasama siya sa US, sa Bangkok. Kasama siya sa national team moving on,” he said.
“In a perfect world, kasama na namin siya since January, but ‘yun na nga, professional boxer na siya eh. We understand na may mga obligations siya na kailangan niyang ma-fulfill.”
The Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist had his own training camp in the US due to his pro career, but Manalo said ABAP and Marcial remained in touch all throughout the process.
“We constantly communicate. In fact, sa training camp niya, meron siyang mga teammates doon na from [the] national team. We’re helping him throughout, and we sent him a coach also even while he was in the US, kasi ayaw naming mawala ‘yung Olympic style of boxing niya,” he bared.
“Alam namin kung anong nangyayari sa kanya. Alam namin kung may iniinda siyang injury and all. So he’s still being monitored naman throughout.”
“Constant pa rin ‘yung coordination and even ‘yung monitoring ni Eumir. Talagang kailangan lang niyang lumaban sa pro. But after that, wala namang malaking changes,” he concluded.
So far, only Marcial, Petecio and Villegas have qualified to compete in the 2024 Paris Games.
Fortunately, Paalam, Ladon and other Pinoy pugilists can still get their slots through the Olympic qualifying tournament in Thailand in late May. (ABS-CBN News)