Eumir Marcial thought his hopes of an Olympic gold medal ended after Tokyo 2020. After winning a bronze medal in the middleweight division (75kg), the weight category was scrapped for Paris 2024.
Marcial was caught in a tight spot, too big to drop to 71kg but he may be too small to jump to the light heavyweight division (80kg). However, he also knew could not quit now. This was a dream he started with his father when he was six-years-old. It’ll have to be a dream he’ll see through.
Born into a family of boxers, Marcial initially idolized his uncle Anthony “Rocky” Marcial, who was also a Philippine National Team member. However, it was his dad who really got him into the sport.
[Related: Eyes on the prize: Eumir Marcial guns for golden finish in Paris]
“Nagsimula akong mag-boxing nung six-years-old ako. Na-impluwensiyahan ako nung mga kapatid ko, ng mga pinsan ko, pero yung tatay ko talaga yung trainer namin. Siya talaga yung trainer ng lahat ng mga bata sa probinsya namin,” Marcial said.
“Doon ako nagsimula. Tinuruan ako ng tatay ko. Naging Team Zamboanga ako. Merong programa sa amin dati, yung Golpe Golpe de Barangay, kaya nakapag-produce yung Zamboanga ng magagaling na boksingero tulad ni Harry Tañamor,” he added, making sure to mention a fellow two-time Olympian.
Marcial’s family did not have much when he was growing up, so his father brought him up with a clear idea that it would take a lot of hard work to live a better life.
Eumir got his father’s notice.
“From the start, nakatatak na sa isip ko na mag-o-Olympics ako kasi yun yung pangarap ng tatay ko,” he said.
“Nung bata pa ako, kapos palad kami, mahirap yung buhay namin. Sabi sa akin ng papa ko, wala akong ipapamana sa’yo kung hindi yung dalhin ka sa tamang direksyon. Maging magaling na athlete ka, maging maayos na tao ka,” Marcial shared.
[Related: SCHEDULE: Philippine athletes at the Olympic Games Paris 2024]
The young Marcial took this message to heart. Every fight was a chance for a better life, every punch landed was one step closer to fulfilling his dreams.
“Nung 2011 National Open sa Cagayan de Oro, doon ako na-scout. After three months sa National Team, sumabak na ako agad sa international competition,” Marcial stated.
His junior stint showed glimpses of greatness. Eumir won the 52-kg division of the AIBA World Junior Boxing Championship, and he was also named Best Asia Youth Boxer of the Year in 2013.
The accolades continued at the elite level, winning a SEA Games gold in 2015 and a silver medal in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships. Unfortunately, his dream of finally becoming an Olympian eluded him in Rio 2016.
Instead of being down, Marcial used this missed chance as fuel. It made him a better boxer and an even better person.
“Nung hindi ako nag qualify sa Rio 2016, mas nakilala ko yung Panginoon nung time na yun,” the boxer shared. “Siya yung nagbigay ng inspirasyon sa akin. Siya yung nagbigay ng linaw sa akin. May purpose kung bakit nandito ako. Alam kong balang araw magagawa ko yun.”
He had faith so he accomplished what he sought to do.
Not only did he become an Olympian for Tokyo 2020, Marcial also won a bronze medal, part of the Philippines’ best ever result at a single Olympics.
Now, he’s gearing up for even bigger challenges as he pushes forward in the light heavyweight division.
“Ang iniisip ko lang palagi is kailangan kong dagdagan yung sipag ko,” he said.
“Nagawa ko na rin naman dati, from lightweight to light welterweight to middleweight at ngayon light heavyweight. Dito sa Olympics, alam ko yung kapasidad ng mga kalaban ko. Kung mag relax ako ng konti, pwede ko ikatalo at pwede ikapahamak ng buhay ko,” Marcial added.
[Related: Eumir Marcial emphasizes importance of U.S. training ahead of Olympic Games Paris 2024]
Eumir’s first taste of action in the light heavyweight division went well enough, winning a silver medal in the Hangzhou Asian Games. Still, he’s also used his training camp to get more acquainted with his possible opponents, including two-time Olympic gold medalist Arlen Lopez of Cuba, who Marcial sparred with in Nancy, France.
Despite the stacked odds, Marcial no longer sees himself as an underdog. He might be naturally smaller than his opponents, but he feels he has worked hard enough to be at par or even better than all of them. It also helps that his fellow medalists Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio push each other to be better each day.
“Bawa’t isa sa amin, may kani-kaniyang plano at inspirasyon. Yung pagbalik naming tatlo sa Olympics, may reason. Mas lalo kaming ganado ngayon,” Marcial closed.
“Suportahan niyo lang kami, ilalaban namin, ibibigay namin lahat.”
—
Story summary:
- Filipino boxer Eumir Marcial achieved Olympic success with a bronze medal from the middleweight division at Tokyo 2020, only to face a weight class elimination for his Olympic return at Paris 2024.
- Despite challenges in finding a fitting weight division, Marcial remains steadfast in pursuing his lifelong dream inspired by his father's coaching and family legacy.
- From a humble upbringing, Marcial's journey to Olympic glory underscores resilience, faith, and a determination to excel in the face of adversity.
[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.]