Tokyo bronze medalist Eumir Marcial is coming off a two-month training camp in the United States prior to his arrival in Metz, France.
Tokyo bronze medalist Eumir Marcial is finally in France after two months of training in the United States for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Due to visa issues, Marcial took a while to arrive in Metz, but nonetheless, the 28-year-old boxer is happy to be with Team Philippines once more.
Marcial, along with fellow boxers Carlo Paalam and Hergie Bacyadan, will depart for Saarbrucken, Germany, on Thursday, to join a training camp with boxers from other countries.
“Siyempre, unang-una masaya kasi nandito na ako, wala na akong iisipin pa. Nagkaroon man ng problem sa visa, at least malayo pa sa laban kaya hindi din masyadong ganung stressful,” Marcial told One Sports’ Carlo Pamintuan.
“Mas masaya sana kung naka-abot dito sa Metz kasi sama-sama, makikita ko 'yung ibang kasamahan ko and siyempre sama-sama din 'yung panalangin namin,” he added.
[ALSO READ: “Para sa bayan”: Flag bearers Carlo Paalam, Nesthy Petecio lead Metz-bound Philippine Centennial team for Paris 2024 training camp]
In his time in the U.S., Marcial was able to spar against other boxers in his weight class, which will help him in his journey in Paris.
“Malaking bagay talaga 'yun na nandun ako nag-training dahil unang-una 'yung weight class ko, wala akong ka-sparring pag dating sa Pilipinas kaya pagdating dun sa U.S., malaking bagay talaga sakin kasi nandun lahat ng mga ka-sparring ko,” said Marcial.
Marcial’s preparations for Paris 2024 have been intense, to say the least, under the guidance of coach Kay Koroma.
Since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, Koroma has developed numerous Olympian amateur boxers.
After bagging the bronze in the middleweight class in Tokyo, Marcial is looking to finally bring home the gold for the Philippines,
“Na-mention ko din nga, 'yung coach ko [Kay Koroma] dati din siyang Team USA, siya din 'yung nagdala kena Shakur Stevenson nung sa Rio Olympics and Claressa [Shields] 'yung nag-gold sa babae so talagang very experienced din talaga siya na coach kaya malaking bagay na nandun ako, nadagdagan 'yung experience ko,” said Marcial.
However, Marcial's road to Olympic gold will be tough as he will compete alongside Cuban super champion Arlen Lopez, Ukrainian Okeksandr Khyzhniak, Kazakh Nurbek Uralbay, and Chinese Tuohaterbieke Tanglatihan.
Khyhzhniak defeated Marcial in the semis in Tokyo, while Tanglatihan punched his way for the Asian Games gold in Hangzhou last year after overcoming the Filipino boxer.
As he ramps up his preparations for the Olympics, Marcial knows that he has the support of his fellow Filipino boxers, who are also vying for gold.
“Even if nahiwalay man ako sa team pero alam ko always naman namin dinidiscuss na iba-iba 'yung treatment sa boxing kasi iba-iba din 'yung weight class namin eh kaya iba-iba 'yung preparation na ginagawa namin,” said Marcial.
Story summary:
· Eumir Marcial, a Tokyo bronze medalist, has been training intensively for the Paris 2024 Olympics, including a two-month stint in the U.S. where he benefited from sparring with other boxers in his weight class under the guidance of coach Kay Koroma.
· Despite visa delays, Marcial is now in France and reunited with Team Philippines. He is preparing for further training in Saarbrucken, Germany, with fellow boxers Carlo Paalam and Hergie Bacyadan, ahead of the Olympic Games.
· Marcial aims for Olympic gold despite the tough competition, including past rivals like Arlen Lopez, Okeksandr Khyzhniak, Nurbek Uralbay, and Tuohaterbieke Tanglatihan. He remains focused and motivated with the support of his team.
[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital team. The summary was generated by AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]